


What Makes Me, You

by DestinyStarlight91



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad Luck, Bodyswap, Character Development, Confused Choi Yeonjun, Curse Marks, Curses, Dreams and Nightmares, Family Secrets, Guilt, Jealousy, M/M, Oblivious Choi Soobin, Original Character(s), Secrets, Self-Discovery, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Teasing, Warlocks, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 135,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28103745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyStarlight91/pseuds/DestinyStarlight91
Summary: The life of Choi Soobin and Choi Yeonjun take a twist as both cross paths in a camp trip right before the start of their last year of high school. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if neither of them made an impact in the life of the other, unfortunate for them they leave that trip with different perceptions of each other and of themselves. From then on their destiny will never separate them of each other.If only they knew they both carry family curses maybe life would have a little more sense, but that's the thing, it never does for them. This is a journey of self discovery, where one will realize the value of himself and the other how precious life is when you stop living to your own expectations.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 26
Kudos: 87





	1. Family Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I recently created a Twitter account so we can interact with each other, my username is @kenthedoggo so make sure to follow me! Let's be friends! <3

Choi Soobin was extremely excited when he got the chance to transfer to “Sonamu High School”, SHS for short, one of the most prestigious there was in the country. It honors the national tree of the nation and the fertile seeds it lays represents the new generation of students willing to change the world. People say the only way of being admitted is by being extremely smart and attentive or by having enough money to afford the monthly costs of the institution, in Soobin’s case it wasn’t the later.

His father worked his life off as an assistant to the vice-president in one of the biggest electronic companies there were. Even though it seemed as a high position, it didn’t mean his salary was that big of a deal. It was just enough so that his family could live as middle-income family and to be able to afford partially of his son’s education, the rest will become a debt he would later have to figure out how to pay off.

When his family received the news they were extremely happy, even his grandmother cried of happiness. Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, his maternal grandparents live with him. He never got the chance to meet his paternal ones because his dad grew up in an orphanage but that is a whole another story. Back to the point, his family was excited because of the chance he got. It may seem as not that big of a deal but whoever studies there has a secured place in “Sonamu University”. As mentioned, every student that graduates from that high school either will have the chance to compete with their classmates to enter the career of their choice in this university or will be able to take the normal admission university exam to enter the other choices available. Knowing that, nobody is stupid enough to commit such mistake. This educational system is very controversial because the admission process to enter the university is even higher than to get into the high school. For this reason, it was like a miracle to Soobin and his family that he was able to get in.

Not everything was happiness as his family saw the struggles they will face thanks to this opportunity, but it didn’t matter because they wished the best for Soobin. His mother quit her job as a professional dance teacher, her dream job, to work in the family restaurant helping his grandparents who to the date haven’t retired. It was a huge hit to her saying goodbye to dancing but she covered it up saying she was getting too old for such an exhausting job. Up until this date, Soobin’s grandfather keeps saying his cuisine is one of the best in the city  
and that it's a matter of time before a high-influence client discovers his talent. Of course, Soobin believes in his grandfather because not only he eats his food every day but also because every costumer leaves with a happy expression, even he doesn’t understand how the restaurant hasn’t done that well.

To Soobin this is a dream come true, because now he will have the chance to have the education he would have never have had if it wasn’t because of his family’s efforts and the amount of time he has put in his studies. Now he will course his last year in this new high school and go to university where, if everything go as planned, he will get into the major he wishes, which he hasn’t decided yet. Not only that, he will attend the same school his childhood friend goes. To Soobin, Huening Kai was not only his best friend but also his role model. When they were younger, Kai lived a few houses down street from Soobin and they did everything together. That was until Kai’s family business got lucky with an investment and their whole lives changed. That was ten years ago, since then Kai moved to a high status apartment and managed to get into SHS and continued studying there up until this date. Now that they will be practically together for the rest of their student life there was no need to keep contacting every now and then through social media. Of course leaving the friends he made in his past high school was going to be hard, but he was willing to do it now that his dreams were closer than ever.

Everything was going perfect for Soobin; he got a better chance to achieve his dreams, now he will be with his childhood friend that he missed, in a future he will be able to pay the huge debt he has with his family. He feels extremely grateful for the unconditional support they have given him even though “that’s what family is for” as his mother says every time, though he still wishes they will willingly accept his thankfulness when the time comes.

After the little celebration his family threw for him with a cup of ice cream from the freezer of the restaurant, he went to his room and sent a mail to Kai telling him the news and expressing how happy he was now that they will reunite after so many years. It wasn’t that they never went out and saw each other it was just difficult to set a date in which they both were available, but now that wouldn’t be the case. Just about after sending the mail and almost turning off the laptop a notification popped up and little did he know from then on his life will be turning into something he would have never thought of.

“Dear students from SHS you are all invited once again to our yearly camp trip, hope to see you soon”

* * *

Some people say the happiness of some is the suffering of others, right? Well for Choi Yeonjun it definitely was the case. There was no reason for him to go once again to that stupid camp trip this year. He was weeks away of starting his last year in high school, what was he a child? In his defense at the age of 18 many other countries already considered him an adult, on the other hand he was months away of actually having that age. However, it didn’t matter what he thought of the camp trip or any other thing at all because his father made sure of that. His only contribution as a son was to follow the rules his dad stated, he never had an opinion at all. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop him from fighting back and making a mess out of every situation you know … for the fun of it.

He sometimes wished he never had an older brother that was so perfect that made him stay in the shadow of his parent’s eyesight, it didn’t make him sad, maybe when he was younger but now he only holds a sour grudge against him. On the other hand, he had a very different sister, which didn’t follow their parent’s decisions but somehow made them proud in the end. While his brother, Choi Jihoon, became an attorney and got into a very successful law firm, his sister took the path of arts, following her mother’s footsteps. “Seline” as she was known started from the bottom of the entertainment industry and years later became the most known actress nationwide and a well-known celebrity in nearby countries. At first, their father disproved of her decision even to the extent of disowning her and leaving her on her own, that was until she won her third major award, because one wasn’t enough to prove her worth.

For that same reason his father doesn’t allow him to even speak up, the drama and the gossip that came because of the abandonment of Seline greatly affected the perception of their family to the public eye. While he considered Seline the luckiest woman alive, to ever prove her worth, he thought of Yeonjun as the incapable son that couldn’t even make a dollar if his life depended on it. Deep inside Yeonjun knew that the reason he was living such a miserable life was because of the happiness and the success his sister achieved. But that wasn’t enough to make him hate her, for him it was impossible to do that. If it weren’t for her and his mom he definitely would have ran out of the house one day and never come back.

Sadly he almost never had contact with his mother and sister, only via text messages and while scrolling through social media. His sister was a workaholic that loved her job, going from studio to studio and from audition to audition. In short words, she enjoyed her life now that she distanced herself from the toxic relationship with her father. In contrast, his dad took his mom as the “trophy wife” while he had his meetings with members of powerful companies around the globe. His mother was a well-known actress, she participated in almost every must watch dramas, thanks to that, her repertory of trophies was so extensive they needed a full wall to be used as a stand for them, of course it was placed were visits could see the huge accomplishments and fame of the Choi family. Not many people know, but the reason Seline’s background was never known until she got the climax of her career was because of her father’s influence over the media, so in case she was a failure she wouldn’t stain the honor of the family.

Currently Yeonjun is living practically all alone in the huge mansion, his brother moved just months earlier since he was living comfortably under their parent’s care, Seline even though was younger than Jihoon left earlier all due to the abandonment from her father and never came back after that. Now that every person has, in some other way, disappeared from Yeonjun’s life, it has made it impossible for him not to think of himself as “the son that was left behind”.

He convinces himself that it doesn’t hurt that much because if he made it through all of his life like this he can make it until he can finally get out of this house without making his family look bad. He doesn’t care of his father’s image of course, it’s just that he knows that if he ever dared to make something like that, the people he cares about will suffer because of it, and he knows that very well.

Maybe this camp wouldn’t be that bad now that he thinks of it, he would be out of this empty shell of house that it has now become, he will be with his friend Beomgyu who is one of the three people he trusts in his life. All while taking fresh air, and maybe who knows, he could find someone new to make fun of and make his life miserable, whichever comes first. He just needs to get out of this house. If only Seline or his mom were here, he would already be happier than he is now.

“One more year, then university will come and I can go live with Beomgyu at the dorms, … just one more year and everything will change” he says to himself while trying to fall asleep trying to convince himself that better days will come. The only thing Yeonjun didn’t think through in his mind is the appearance of the person that will make him realize how valuable he is.

* * *

Lee Eun-Kyung was refreshing her makeup and appearance in the restroom of a top-notch hotel because of her husband’s request. Apparently, in his opinion she needed a bit more makeup since time doesn’t make exceptions, rude of him to think. If someone was the victim to the passing of the years it definitely wouldn’t be her since the pure soul, optimistic character and full of love heart has made sure to preserve that charisma that she emanated since her more youthful days. Even though this wasn’t how she wanted to spend her life, she knew she had to wait just a little more until she could get away of the hands of the “devil” as she secretly called him.

After making herself, “more presentable” she received a call from her sister Lee Jae-ha who she adored very much. Without a doubt she picked up the call, anything that made her stay a couple of minutes far from the clearly lovable husband she had.

“Hello? Jae-ha?”

“Hi! It has been ages right? I can’t believe it, apart from the weird occurrences”

“I’m just waiting for some of Sungho’s partners to arrive, what's the matter?”

“Don’t worry about it that much, do you really think it has already happened?”

“Hmm I don’t think so he would have told me already”

“Well because I am his mother of course”

“What do you mean I am never there for him?”

“We have already scheduled the flight back home; I just want it to be a surprise”

“I know, I know, we have been out for a year but I hope he understands why I do it”

“Do you think he has grown taller?”

“Last time you saw him he was the same height?”

“It doesn’t matter he will always be my baby”

“I know, I am trying not to get sidetracked it is just that I miss him so much, you know text messages and FaceTime isn’t the same as actually hugging the person”

“But now that I think of it, if it hasn’t happened, the curse or whatever that was may already be broken you know … I mean marrying the actual devil may have done something, right?”

“I just want to get home to tell him about our family unlucky legacy, you know in case it happens”

“I know … I hope Yeonjun takes care of himself, he will have to, now that he will be responsible for someone else’s life for the rest of his life”

As the conversation continued, a young female voice made herself noticed by knocking at the door of the bathroom “Miss Lee your husband told me to inform you that you have to come out now, his visits have arrived”

“Sorry I have to go the devil is calling, apparently they have arrived, call you later … ok … love you, bye”

She knew this unresolved business she had with her son was going to cost her greatly if she didn’t get home as planned, she just needed a couple of minutes with him then everything will make sense, that is … if the chaos hasn’t already started and she was oblivious of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, this is my first fic and I am very nervous to take this step, I really hope whoever reads this will have a fun time with it. This was just an introduction to this alternate universe and a brief sneak peek of Yeonjun's family curse. I dont't know if this type of narrative is of your liking, so if you would like it in a different way don't doubt in telling me. Don't be afraid to leave a comment or share it with others as your support will encourage me to move foward. I don't know how much attention this will get but thank you for reading my work <3


	2. Reality

The last week in his current high school was exhausting and difficult, not only because of finals but also because it was the official goodbye to his friends he has spent all of his life. Of course, it wouldn’t be a permanent goodbye since he still planned to maintain contact with them. You know, maintaining contact with his childhood friend without even having physical interaction except for some special events gave him enough experience of how to proceed with this matter. Still it hurt because something inside of him told him they won’t try as hard as he will.

The teachers always treated him with special care because he was the smart one in the class, though as their job was to impress the people in upper positions they always pressured him to do well and keep up with their expectations. It wasn’t that big of a deal to Soobin since he had to work for his dreams, not for those of others that viewed him as a machine; it was just a side effect that they were rewarded for his efforts. Still he didn’t think badly of them since he understood what was having to prove yourself worthy to others. His dad often did it to maintain his job as an assistant. You know it even may be a record since not many assistants work in the same workplace for that many years, only those who prove their loyalty do. More importantly, Soobin did, so that his family were proud of him; he knew that the love he received wasn’t measured by his calcifications but it still matter to him.

The last day, his classmates and some personnel prepared a gift for him. He is a natural friendly person so whoever met him almost instantly loved him, so many of the cleaning and cooking staff who were practically ignored by other students caught bonds with him for that same reason. His friends made him a custom-made white hoodie with all of their signatures in the color of their choice. It was a gift he surely wouldn’t forget and will appreciate for maybe all of his life. In the other hand, the personnel decided to give him the present at the end of the day so he wouldn’t be ashamed if other people saw him with them, in Soobin’s eyes, it didn’t matter. They gave him an envelope where he found money, in an instant, he didn’t accept it but they insisted for him to keep it since they knew that the costs that would come in the near future will be huge and even though it wasn’t that much, they wanted to help Soobin and his family. Reluctantly he took it and said his gratitude for what they did and turning his back to his old school, he went home with some tears in his eyes.

When he got home he entered making the less noise possible since he needed to get the money in his family “at home bank” without them knowing. Since young, Soobin learned from his parents to never accept money from others even if you need it, because in some other way you will be indebted with them until the day you pay back the favor. He made a small excuse this time because they really need the money and well it was a gift so he never asked for it.

The “at home bank” wasn’t that big of a deal, it was located inside of an empty bottle of shampoo in the bathroom. It was something people that weren’t that well of did to maintain some of the important goods secret in case a thief ever entered their house. It was a very risky move since they had another empty shampoo bottle with some of the jewelry that was passed from generation to generation, so in case they found out about one bottle of shampoo the other will, without a doubt, be exposed. His family is well aware of it but after five consecutive thefts and none of the important things missing they stablished it was safe. They were proud of it, on the other side, it was embarrassing because even though they were robbed, the only things they took were the phone chargers and nothing else since nothing was of value. Now that they think of it, maybe they don’t have more thefts since word has spread that they really don’t own nothing out of this world.

Soobin walked slowly and the most cautious possible to the bathroom, and after getting in he locked the door and finished his mission. His house had very thin walls so even opening a shampoo bottle would make other suspicious of it but he managed to do it silently. While he prepared to step out he overheard a conversation the adults were having in the room next to where he was. Apart from the murmurs and unintelligible words, he listened to his mother crying over quitting her job and getting anxious of the future stability the household will have. His grandparents were trying to calm her down assuring her that everything was going to be fine and that they have had worst struggles earlier in life, somehow his family never achieved success even if they put all of their soul into it. Which sometimes made Soobin lose hope for his own future “will I be able to make it?” that was constantly roaming in his mind.

His grandparents were very honest people who never went out in their word; since they came from very honest beginnings, they always made sure the moral values of their family were clear and never questioned by others. One time they even made Soobin apologize to their neighbor because he took a flower from their garden in the entrance of their house without asking. They sometimes were that extreme but Soobin still valued how decent his family was. As the conversation continued, they decided to make the restaurant a twenty-four hour business so that they could have a little more income than before.

Hearing this, Soobin decided that this was not his place and that it felt wrong spying on his family. He knew that going out from the bathroom would be very awkward since it would be obvious he was listening to the whole thing, so he went out the same way he entered and re-entered the house as normal. Putting up a fake smile and making as much noise as possible, he put his backpack in the floor and announced himself. His grandma came out first and set him at the table so he could dine. Knowing what he heard from before he knew his grandpa was calming his mother so that they could greet him as nothing happened. It broke his heart knowing that his happiness was the suffering of his family.

After eating and greeting his clearly saddened mother, with the pretext that the drama she was watching was so sad that made her cry, he went to his room. He didn’t believe he deserved all the good things that were happening to him now that more people were involved. He started to overthink now feeling guilty of the effort his classmates and the personnel at the school made to give him those presents. Everything became a huge deal, how could he look at the eyes of his mom without remembering that she gave up her dreams because he wanted to accomplish his. Life was so unfair, why couldn’t he make himself and the others around him happy without hurting others.

The only thing that could make him snap out of this was a good nap and that’s what he did, he slept his problems away then maybe a better day will come.

That didn’t last long though because his dad stormed into his room screaming and moving him side to side so he could wake up. What is so important and exciting that he needed to wake him up so earnestly, it was his last day of school, let him rest a little bit at least he deserved that.

“Soobin, kid, wake up! I got news”

“What dad? Could you speak lower at least?”

“I’m sorry I know you must be tired is just that I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to talk about this … imagine what I saw this afternoon in my mail”

Great … just great, Soobin of course knew what he saw and there was no of denying it. He must have seen the mail about the camp trip, in better words the very … very … very expensive camp trip. Why would a camp trip cost that much? At first Soobin was truly excited of going but after reading the rest of the information he decided for himself that he was not going and that was it.

“Oh I don’t know … a coupon for two for the spa we go?”

“That would be great wouldn’t it, but no. Apparently your new school is planning a camp trip before your classes begin isn’t that great?”

“Dad about that … I don’t think I want to go”

He wanted, he really did; according to Kai it is the trip everyone waits for the whole year. It is like the reward for students after finishing their studies of the year. He said the food was good, you get to spend your free time with your friends, and you even meet new people as every year new students enter the generation. In a matter of fact, many of those are people from abroad that have their companies translated to Korea. It was just what Soobin needed, a new way to start a great year and meet new people but thanks to the obvious circumstances he doesn’t let his mind think of what it would be.

“Soobin what are you talking about? From what I read, it is amazing; they even have a lake can you imagine. When I called, they told me it is a great way for new students to fit in and make new friends. You definitely should go”

“But dad …“ He didn’t think this through what will he say to convince his father that he won’t go. He can’t simply say that it is a matter of money or he will get upset and give him the same talk of always that money won’t stop them from being happy and that they will figure out something in the end.

“What Soobin tell me”

“I am not feeling well lately, heh, you know mi stomach hurts so much that we may need go to the hospital. Thinking of it let’s go I probably have an hernia or something”

“Don’t be ridiculous son, are you going to be serious or what?”

“Dad … it is too late to even do the deposit and they needed confirmation a long time ago and sadly we didn’t catch up to it. It’s a bummer I know but you know I will be alright believe me”

“Well you will be surprised when I tell you that I called and they said it was no problem and those dates are just for measuring who will be able to attend. Apparently rich people have that benefit of the doubt, what a life”

“That’s great … then, what does that mean?” He asked, cautious of the result

“Soobin, you are going to meet some new people, aren’t you excited?”

“Those are amazing news dad, thank you!” Soobin said halfheartedly, with a hug and the same fake smile he has become a master in replicating. With that, he became once more indebted with his family and promised himself that he will enjoy this trip in return.

* * *

Time is just such a weird thing; no one knows certainly, what it is. Is it an illusion, a perception of things, is it even real? Well it didn’t matter; those things are for others to understand. The only thing that mattered about time to Yeonjun was that it went by fast. He was once again stuck in his classroom listening to the same monologue of doing better next year and achieving your goals and all the same bs as always. He couldn’t wait to get home and leave high school once more. Well if we are being honest, home is the last place he will go today or any other day, there was nothing for him there after all. Instead, he may go to Beomgyu’s and do the same nothingness he is accustomed to do.

He often looks at the clock of his phone under the desk just so he can make sure that time really is moving. God why did Ms. Park care that much about his notes, he still will get into university, it is not that big of a deal. It wasn’t that he did bad, he still gets good notes and puts some interest in his studies but why couldn’t this woman move on with her life, it may be understandable if it was a normal day of class but, the last day, are you serious?

Suddenly the ring came and he instantly banished from class with the rest of his classmates, ignoring the loud voice of that old woman. He won’t miss her while in vacations that’s for sure. He waited at the entrance for Beomgyu, now that they weren’t allowed to be classmates because of “important disturbances during the process of education” they had to meet in recess time and after class. It was a bit of a drag since Yeonjun was in the class of the responsible ones, who actually tried to do well in school. They were the transfers, kids of lower social status that tried to get out of poverty, how pitiful. People like him don’t need to worry about those things; they will be the successors of their parents’ companies and do well thereafter. In his case, he won’t be the successor of nothing at all since his brother will retire of working with the law firm after gaining experience and be the new CEO. According to his father, the more the CEO knows about law the more the company is protected from “leeches”. He didn’t think about it that much since it will never be his place, just by having his family name was enough to guarantee him a job somewhere.

Yeonjun probably knew approximately twenty percent of his generation, he really didn’t care who was sitting next to him or who got the highest grade or who the prettiest girl at school is; you know not even knowing all the girls how would he make that statement. Nevertheless everybody knew who he was, the younger son of Choi Sungho, owner of one of the biggest automobile companies who have expanded to different sectors of business, be it electro-domestics, cellphones, hotel management and more. For that the other students looked at him in different ways, some with envy, some with admiration, some with flirty eyes, but they always look.

He was losing his patience, what did Beomgyu had to do in his last day of school that took so much time? He unknowingly sent stares to the people that dared to look into his eyes this time of the day. Yeonjun was fully concentrated in not going back to school to look for that idiot. Without notice he took a smack at the back of his head, it wasn’t painful but if anyone other than Beomgyu did that, that person surely was dead. To everyone’s relief it was Beomgyu.

“What are you doing sloth, let’s go home”

He really pulled his strings, he may kill him one day, but not today, today he needs a home to go and he is the only one who can offer him that. Not just a roof under his head but somewhere where he knows someone will note if he suddenly disappears.

Yeonjun stepped inside Beomgyu’s car like out of habit, at some point in his life he told his driver to take his days off and just accept the payment since he wasn’t going to do any job at all. Same car, same destination, same day every day. They don’t usually talk in the car, it’s not because of secrecy or anything like that, they are both so exhausted that they sleep their way home.

Beomgyu’s house can be described as the stereotypical “rich boy that is pampered so much by his parents that they even buy him a pony”. It has a roundabout right in front of the main entrance, a huge living room in the middle where you have doors going to the kitchen, patio or the other living room; you know that one that is exclusive for parties or special guests. Everything says “I am a replica of the Sistine Chapel” it is all so sophisticated it makes Yeonjun squirm a little, though he is accustomed to this type of scenarios. From what he knows, it has an underground floor where they store wine and other stuff he is not certain about. He only has knowledge of the places he has been, which consists of these places and Beomgyu’s room. His curiosity was never that big for things he expected others to have. When they arrive, they go to his room where they often spend most of their time. They talk for some time, then play videogames, order something to eat and if Beomgyu has some gossip he will share it with Yeonjun; though he forgets everything minutes after he heard it.

“Hey can you believe it? Me and you going to our last year of high school” Beomgyu said

“Yeah, it’s a total surprise I thought I was going to end up all alone next year … who would have thought” Yeonjun said back

“Just because things are easy for you to learn doesn’t mean you should be cocky about it, smart-ass”

“If only you studied more than once for the exams maybe this conversation would be different”

“Hey! I have my priorities Yeonjun”

“If only I cared about videogames they way you do”

“Some things come before others and I have to make my sacrifices, sorry school but don’t need you that much”

“And I am the cocky one? At least I am not here boasting of how comfortable I live”

“Ok, ok, I get it, we are both cocky and we love each other because of it”

“That sounds plural to me”

“Anyways, one more year then university, then … who knows for you, but I will be living the dream”

“It’s not that you aren’t living it right now … but I get what you mean”

Yeonjun knew that his present days weren’t good and always assumed things will get better once he gets his distance from the reality he currently is living, but what if things got worse? Right now as things are, he just needs one thing right now. Not all the money, cars, hotels, whatever there is with value in this world can make his wish come true, because none of these things can make him understand what time really is. If Yeonjun truly understood what time is, he would just make it go faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, again! Thank you to whoever is reading my work, you are truly appreciated <3 Once again you are free to comment if you are liking how the story is going or if you have some criticism about my writing. This is the first time I do it publically so be free to do it without remorse. Thank you for your support!


	3. Preparations

The weekend, Saturday and Sunday, two days that seemed like a whole week for those who were anticipating what came at the end of it. In the other hand, it may be perceived as a blink of an eye for those who don’t fully enjoy it. For Soobin this was the longest weekend he has had that he remembered. Right after his father told him that he was going to attend the camp trip, he started packing, in a Friday, at 9:00 pm; for a trip he was going on a Monday. Many may think he was ahead of himself, and to be truthful he was at this moment. It was normal for him to prepare beforehand for anything in life, planning was just in his system. It may have come from the parenting he had or because he was a very attentive and responsible person. He wouldn’t have made it this far in his studies or even in life if he didn’t follow this habit. But right now his measures went a little bit too far, in half an hour he had emptied his closet to check which clothes he would take, he almost destroyed the bathroom looking for repellent and sunscreen. His mother didn’t appreciate that, so he returned to his room with a little bump in his head, of course this happened after she gave him a kiss right where the smack was; if she didn’t she will feel bad, mom things he says. He also packed belongings that weren’t his by accident, like his grandma’s toothbrush, his mom lipstick thinking it was chapstick and the underwear of his father, that would have been awkward to bring.

He was losing his mind, he started to practice his introductory speeches in front of the mirror. He prepared one for different occasions, one to meet Kai’s friends, other to greet the camp counselors, other for the cooking staff or the teachers that were going to be there; paranoia was taking over him. His father started to really worry for him, he even thought at some point that it would be best if he never went at all, but it was too late, Soobin was already excited about the trip. If he was told, he wasn’t going to go, who would take care of the mess of a depressing blob that he would become. 

“Soobin, bunny, it is getting late. You should go to bed and rest.” His grandmother spoke with him through the door of the bathroom

“I can’t talk right now grandma, I’m busy! I have things to do.” Soobin answered almost screaming

“Bunny if you keep talking so loud the neighbors are going to complain, or worse they will think we have done something terrible to you” Bunny, that’s how his grandma referred to Soobin. Since he was a little baby his features were so delicate and precious that she decided to call him like that, she would do anything for her bunny.

“Don’t worry about it if they call the police I will explain everything to them!”

“The police? What are you talking about?”

“Mother is something wrong? It is almost midnight and I am hearing Soobin scream, is he alright?” Soobin’s mom said to her mother genuinely scared.

“He has gone crazy, and he won’t step out of the bathroom”

“Soobin son, are you ok?”

“Yes mom! Everything seems fine over here, you see give me five minutes and I will go straight to bed”

“Bunny you have been there for a long time now, come speak with me”

“No, no, is ok hehe, just go to sleep I will finish this up in an instant”

“Choi Soobin … I am losing my patience right now. I can’t go to sleep because you keep making so much noise that even your grandpa can hear you without his hearing devise. If you don’t open this door at the count of three I am going to really make the neighbors worry about your safety. One-“ His mother voice got scary sometimes, he knew that that was the sign that he really needed to keep himself together. She was the best mom he could ever wish for, she really loved her son with all of her heart. You just have to not make her mad and she will not show you this side of her.

“Hi mom, hi grandma … I am going to bed, sleep well, love you” Soobin said as he walked pass both of them and gave them a kiss on the cheek before vanishing in his room.

“Goodnight Bunny! Ah what a sweet boy isn’t he”

His grandmother went back to her room, but his mom couldn’t go to sleep knowing the current situation so she went to talk to her son when she saw her mother leave.

“Soobin, can I come in?”

“Sure mom”

“Kid, what is keeping you so alert at this hour, and don’t tell me it is because you slept all the afternoon. I have seen you sleep whole days without being like this”

“It’s just excitement mom, you know I am practically starting fresh now that I am moving to another school and I just want to make a good impression, what if people don’t like me?”

“Soobin, you know someone from the very start, many kids don’t get to have that opportunity. I am sure Kai has told his friends about you, and how great you are. You don’t have to make a good impression now that some people already know something about you. And in case someone does dislike you, it’s not that big of a deal. What is a couple of people going to do against the majority of the population? Nothing, because I know the son I have raised and trust me when I say that you have turned into such a beautiful person both inside and out.”

“Thank you mom, I am just nervous you know. Things are going so well lately that it seems something bad is going to happen. I am never that lucky”

“You don’t have to be lucky to be happy; if that was the case all of us in this house would be living such a miserable life. But we don’t need luck, because we make our own paths even if luck isn’t with us. Remember this Soobin, luck may make you happier, or even make your life easier; but fighting for what you yearn gives you the satisfaction and happiness that those with luck won’t achieve.”

“I guess I was overreacting about it, you can go rest now mom. Thank you for that”

“Don’t go to sleep too late ok, and don’t make noise” Although the conversation they were having was quiet and safe, Soobin had to admit that last bit of his mother’s sentence was scary.

“Good night, sorry for that”

With that, Soobin was all alone again in his room. He felt some embarrassment now that he thinks of his actions, he had never moved of schools so this was a new experience for him. He realized he was doing way too much, so much that now he had to reorganize this mess of a room he made. Soobin had his suitcase ready for a trip that he would not have for another two days, and now he just had to wait. Normally Soobin would clean up the absolute mess of his room before going to sleep, but now that he calmed himself down, he suddenly felt the urge to rest. Maybe taking it slow was something he could do right now, after all there where two days left.

* * *

“Master Yeonjun, are you awake?”

“Hmm not right now, give me ten more minutes or fifteen” This was an expression Yeonjun said every time someone tried to wake him up. For him “five more minutes” is way too short, why would you say five when there is ten or fifteen?

“I am sorry to disturb you once again, but I’m afraid you will need to wake up now”

“Ugh, why is that? Is there something that important?”

“Well it seemed very important, if you decide that it isn’t you may sleep more”

“Just say it, so we can get this over with”

“Your mother is calling from Japan; she is waiting for your answer”

“My mom!? Are you sure? You are not kidding right?” Yeonjun instantly woke up from his slumber at the mention of his mother. It has been almost a month since they talked and a year since she left with his father. He wasn’t going to let this opportunity to slip out of his hands just because he was sleeping.

“Y-yes, should I bring the phone?”

“Of course you tortoise, run! Go! Go! Go!”

“I’ll be right back” The house cleaner left the room as soon as she heard the teenager scream of excitement. She felt bad that she was often referred as a “tortoise”, but she had heard her master speak in worst ways to the other workers. One time he even called one of the older helpers at the time “spoiled raisin” just because of their age; at the back of her mind, she just hoped he wouldn’t call her elephant or “food lover” because of her weight. It was something she got used to while working for people of high social status, though it didn’t justified it. However, she understood the lack of manners he had. His family didn’t raise him, his parents where always away, his brother was too occupied with himself and his sister was banned from entering the house. The only proper morals he had were from his best friend, “the brat” as the employees called him behind doors. Because of this, some of the workers have some kind of compassion for him, be it due of pity or sympathy.

“Here master, I have already accepted the call” She said with the little of breath she had after running to the other room. Yeonjun didn’t have a phone in his room since most of the calls weren’t even for him, but for his brother or for his father. Is it too much to ask of them to change their reference number when they weren’t in the house? It has been a year for god’s sake.

“Hello, mother is that you?”

“My dear son how are you?” Yeonjun couldn’t believe he was hearing his mother’s voice after a month of not doing so. He almost got emotional in front of the helper, so he motioned with his hand for her to leave and she did. It was a great way to start the day, Saturday out of all of them, his favorite.

“Everything is great mom, is great hearing you again. How are you doing? … and father of course” He almost didn’t mean that last part, but even if his dad wasn’t there for him most of his life he still carried with him some kind of love for him, he doesn’t fully understands why.

“It’s so good to listen to your voice once again. I miss you so much. I have just woken up with breakfast in my bed and with a glass of wine; you can say that everything is going fine. In case of your father, business is going as planned and he seems content about it. Also I have some news to tell you, we may end all of this company trips earlier than expected so I am going home to you soon! I was going to wait for a bit more but hearing your voice made me spit it out.”

“That’s amazing news mom! Do you know exactly when it will be?” Yeonjun totally changed his personality in front of his mother, if his classmates saw him acting this way they would totally be shocked that someone who has always acted cold to them could possibly have this warm side to him, not even Beomgyu has seen him this way.

“That I won’t spoil, but I can tell you that it is really soon!” If only she would have told Yeonjun the date of her return. Things would be so much different to what Yeonjun is faced to live.

“Ok, ok, I get it, it better be soon as you say. I miss you mom” He really loved his mother she was one of the two people he could say he missed or loved, not only because those were really vulnerable words but also because he meant them.

“I assure you it is, I am so excited, I can’t wait to see how much you’ve changed … though from what I’ve heard not so much …”

“What was that mom, I couldn’t hear that last part, I think the signal failed or something … weird”

“Don’t worry about it. How was school? Did everything go well? I bet It did, my smart boy.” Yeonjun wasn’t called by nobody like that, you know, smart isn’t the first word that comes to your mind when you think of him. If only his father thought of that way of him …

“I am not that smart mom, but yeah everything went well yesterday was my last day”

“That’s amazing I’m so proud of you, now my boy is in his last year of high school, you grow so fast”

“Thank you mom, for everything”

“Don’t mention it. So … tell me are there any cute girls in your year, have you gone out with someone and you have not told me about it?” Of course, it is that part of the conversation again.

“No mom, like last time, I have not dated anyone. Maybe you should give up on it already, I’m not looking for anything like that anytime soon” Yeonjun has practiced that same sentence all of his life. Since he was in elementary school people expected him to date or even have some kind of romantic relationship with someone just because of his looks. Why were people so nosy of his business? If he puts his mind into it, part of the reasons he hasn’t had that type of relationship with others is because, if people were so nosy when he was single how would they be when they found out he wasn’t? He aspired not to be the center of attention and by keeping his life private he thought he did, little did he know that made people more curious of him, also the part that his looks turned eyes wherever he went.

“Such a shame … if only you were like your friends in that aspect.”

“Do you really wish your son was a player that put no interest in relationships … ok I may as well do that”

“Don’t you dare Choi Yeonjun! You are perfect as you are, never change. Moving on from that How is Beomgyu doing by the way? I haven’t heard from him in a while”

“He is just there doing his thing, same as always”

“I’m glad to hear that, he is a good kid. Next time you see him send him my greetings and also to his mom, we need to catch up when I return”

“Yeah I’ll do that, maybe today I will see him. I’ll see how it goes.”

“Thank you darling ...” Yeonjun waited for his mom to say something more but he could only hear murmurs of another conversation she was having with someone else.

“Mom you there?”

“Yes give me a second … hey I’m talking to Yeonjun do you want to say something to him? I can give you the phone if you want” Now he knew what was going on, his father had entered the room his mom was. He got excited for a second thinking of the possibility of talking with his father. No one answered the phone in a while.

“Hi, I’m back someone came in and asked me for something”

“Yeah … sure mom, did they need something important?” He can’t say he expected something else than the truth that his father didn’t want to talk to him, it hurt still.

“They told me I needed to get ready for another business meeting I’ll have to leave earlier”

“Don’t worry about it mom, it was good catching up”

“Yeonjun, I love you, see you soon”

“See you soon mom, can’t wait”

“Bye”

“Bye, I lov-“ The call ended

* * *

He needed to waste time, doing something, anything at all, he did all he think he could do, but it was still noon. He had played videogames until he was bored, he cleaned his room, helped his grandpa with breakfast, done the dishes, watched TV, go for a walk, offered his help to everyone in the house, but nothing, the day was eternal for Soobin. He had already set his fears apart, he accepted that everything was going to be fine, but this Saturday was never ending. If one day was this long how would he manage to spend a whole month in that camp trip, yes one moth, many of the kids leave after two weeks or even one but Kai told Soobin they should stay the whole month. Those who stay the longest have the whole place to themselves; at the beginning of the trip, they would do some activities like kayaking, fishing or playing other sports but because so many people leave after two weeks they let them do whatever they want. His parents were onboard with that, in addition, it wasn’t like they paid back if you decide to leave earlier so why leave in the first place?

He figured out that calling Kai was a good idea; he always spent a good time when talking to him and maybe time will go faster that way, so he did.

“Hello, Kai?”

“Hey Soobin! How is it going?”

“Hey good to hear you, everything is fine, a little excited and all since you know the camp and the transfer”

“A little? You sounded very into it when you sent me the mail, and about that, are you kidding by the way, the mail? What are we six year old kids?” Kai still maintained his childlike happiness, it wasn’t that Soobin didn’t have it; it’s just that Kai is Kai.

“When we were younger we always used the mail, I guess I did it out of instinct this time”

“Whatever just send me a text or something next time, the only reason I check my mail is because of you but enough of it, have you packed or something?”

“You bet, I went crazy last night. My suitcase is seating by my door waiting for it to be Monday, you?”

“Nah, I wait until the last moment you know for the rush and the adrenaline, that’s when things do get real”

“Sounds like procrastinating to me but whatever, you do you haha”

“It may be that if we are being honest, I can’t wait to spend a whole month with you, it has been a long time hasn’t it”

“Well yeah, we saw each other around a month and a half ago I think, you know that time we went for ice cream”

“Yeah, I remember, that was so good. Talking about ice cream, do you know where there is unlimited amounts of it?”

“Like heaven or something like that”

“No, no, no, the camp trip!”

“You have to be kidding, there is no way it is all free”

“Technically it is and isn’t. It is a part of the whole meal thing of the trip but they only give you your portion. But when the lights are out, let’s just say the ice cream grows legs and disappears”

“Of all the times that you have talked to me about this camp you haven’t told me about this story, it’s hilarious that you would even do that much for ice cream”

“Well at that time you would have thought me a lesson about not stealing and this and that, but now that you are going I can’t wait for you to come with me”

“You are bringing me into this right now? Well I guess I’ll have to do it” He wasn’t even done talking when Kai started to protest so Soobin could go with him

“Come on Soobin it will be great imagine, you, me, our friends and some others doing- … wait. Are you serious! You will? Yeah let’s go! I can’t believe this day has come, Choi Soobin will actually do mischief. And with me!” Moments like this made Soobin happy, making someone have a good time really made him feel good, most importantly, it was Kai. He really missed having him by his side back in the day, but now that will change and he can’t wait for it to begin.

“If it is for ice cream, believe me, I will do anything” Ice cream wasn’t that big of a deal for Soobin, it was more about the experience and the fun he will have. Though he didn’t protest about stealing ice cream, it was delicious after all. That word is still in his mind “steal”, since the incident of the flower with his neighbor he never would have thought of doing something similar.

“You will love it, I promise you. And if you don’t I am sure another thing can grow up a pair of legs and disappear too, if you know what I mean.”

“I think you are going a bit over board with this leg thing, maybe just the ice cream can do that”

“Ok, ok … I can’t promise that though”

“Well I guess I should just give up and let you do your thing after all you know more about this”

“Who are you and what have you done with Soobin? He would never let me do my thing, are you sick or something?”

“You wish, I will be next to you almost what is left of my years of education so you better get used to it” Soobin can’t put out why he is feeling so free all of a sudden maybe it’s just Kai that brings that side of him.

“Let me tell you something, I don’t fully know who you are but I am down to be friends with you. Hey! What do you mean “years of education” no friend, you and me will stay together even after the “years of education” do you understand?

“Yeah I get it, thank you … friend”

“I know … friend, what would you do without me”

“Probably better things if I’m honest”

Their conversation continued for hours, they really connect like magnets. Time went by and they both caught up with each other to the point where it wasn’t about what had happened to them, more of what they will do together. Kai told Soobin about the basics of school, very briefly, since it wasn’t a topic worth their time now that they would do things more entertaining than reading and learning. He told Soobin about his friends and how they aren’t like some of the stuck ups of classmates that he has. Some of them come from beginnings similar to him or Soobin, and some are just good people even when they were raised with money. Kai did warn him about a group of students that sometimes bully others, but decided he will explain better when they were at the camp so he can recognize each of them. As the conversation progressed, Soobin felt his eyes get tired and each time heard less and less of Kai’s voice, unknowingly he had fallen asleep listening to his friend rant about food and other meaningless stuff that he thought of. Time goes by fast when you are enjoying moments like this one, and with that Saturday finally came to an end.

* * *

It was Sunday now, and Yeonjun didn’t know how to take that in. Up till’ this date he stills considers Sunday to be the last day of the week, even if some people justify that it is in fact the first; but today was a special case, because today he was willing to believe it was the first and not the last. After he ended the call with his mother he felt like doing nothing, you know, the whole thing about his father not wanting to talk to him really bumped him out. Maybe he should give up already in changing the perception his father has of him, after all not all blood is thinker than water. The plan of going to Beomgyu’s house didn’t work, as he had some celebration party with his family because he was going to be in his last year of high school. He could have gone, after all of this time his parents consider him part of the family but he didn’t want to go because there were going to be a lot of people, and he doesn’t like crowded places that much. Yeonjun doesn’t know if he despised the idea of having a party just because you passed your scholar year was simply pathetic and out of line or because no one congratulated him when he did, apart from his mom, though he didn’t mentioned it she for sure wouldn’t have known. So he went to his patio and spent his day laying on the grass under a tree with Ken, his golden retriever. Yeonjun was the one who named him, that was when he had the age of ten, because since he was a puppy he teased the chickens that roamed free in his land; which is in fact huge, it even has a lake in it. But he only chased the chickens not the ducks, very weird from his part, so he came out with the name “ken” from the last syllable from “chicken”. They even had to move the chickens out of the house because they weren’t laying eggs since the constant stress that Ken caused them. Very embarrassing, but nobody, apart from him, knows the reason why he decided with that name. It was one of the many secrets of himself that he kept from others.

He just laid there motion less, the only reason he moved was because the “tortoise” came with his lunch or some other snacks so he could eat, also because she was worried that he actually had died. Ken was such a great companion, if it weren’t because of the rules of the house, he would allow him to enter the house.

That was how he spent his weekend, laying there without worries, thinking about nothing, it was his favorite thing to do. Then he remembered he was going to that camp trip. Now he was less against going, now that he would do the same thing that he is doing but without disturbances, maybe it wasn’t that bad of an idea after all.

“Hey! Tortoise! You there?” If Yeonjun had a third person he could trust the most in his life it would be Tortoise, in a matter of fact he doesn’t know her name so he settled with this nickname after he saw her feeding his tortoise by the lake one day. He really came up with names out of the blue, Ken, Tortoise, even one day he told one of the helpers spoiled raisin because she often ate raisins; the spoiled part came because he despised raisins in a spiritual level, why would someone eat them? Unfortunately, that old woman left her job sometime after, he doesn’t know why.

“Be right there master!”

“Tick … tock, tick … tock”

“Y-yes master, what do you need?” Once again out of breath, but this time because she had to run all the way to where Yeonjun was. Why did he have to choose a tree that was so afar?

“Tomorrow I will leave for a camp trip; I need my luggage ready for when I leave”

“I wasn’t informed about it, is there something in specific you would like to bring with you”

“Just the usual, clothes, toothbrush, things like that”

“Should I also inform the driver of your departure or will the bra- I mean, master Beomgyu give you a ride?” Yeonjun knew how the workers of the house talked about his friend, it didn’t surprise him since he really was a brat, I guess this people have become something close to family to him.

“You should tell him, inform him that I leave at 7 and I need to arrive before 8 to the school”

“Right away, master, anything else?”

“No, you can go now”

“Sure”

“Hey! Also when I’m gone don’t forget to feed Ken”

“Of course” How dare he, she thought, it isn’t as if he feeds him himself. She cleaned, cooked, fed Ken and the other animals, even the tortoise she hated so much. When will that thing die already? It just remembered her of that awful nickname she has.

When Yeonjun entered his room his mind was still lost in nothingness from all the resting that he did, he now remembered he left his phone by the desk of his room. No notifications appeared on the screen, nothing out of normal. So he got under his blankets without changing the clothes he was wearing and settled for a good nigh of sleep. This weekend went by better than he would have thought of. Now, he just had to go to the camp trip and continue this same routine, nothing seemed to go wrong, as long as he could do this he would be satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, thank you for all of the comments you have left. Also as you may have seen there are some references to the “bunny” and ice cream thing, but don’t focus on that too much since this is an alternate universe. Next chapter will begin the camp trip ark and the development of the relationship between Soobin and Yeonjun, so keep that in mind. I may update a little later than usual because I want to make the chapters as long and enjoyable as possible so you get to know more about the characters of the story. Once again, hope you are having a fun time with my work and thank you for your support! <3


	4. Goodbyes and Hellos

The day finally came, Monday, first day of the camp trip. He woke up five minutes before the alarm went off, that always happened when he had and important event that day. Like every day he had an exam, when he went out Kai, or when he had to watch a show that was aired in the morning. He was prepared since days before, he had his suitcase, his handbag where he carried his phone, the charger, some snacks, sunscreen, his wallet and an umbrella; you never know if it will rain. Now that he had five minutes to spare, he spent more time in the shower to clean himself and to calm his mind a little. The bathroom was Soobin’s favorite room in the house, he went there even when he didn’t need to go, he loved taking showers; more specifically those that burn your skin, sauna type; and he appreciated that it was such a quiet place. His bedroom had a window that looked to the main road, so it was very busy sometimes, though for sleep it was perfect for him; he manages to fall asleep better when there is noise than when the neighborhood is quiet. Yes, Soobin’s house has a second story, before it only had one, but when his grandparents moved to his house he lent them his room. The house barely had a patio; it only fit three refrigerators maximum, so they decided to make a second floor where Soobin would have his room. He liked that about his room, he had some privacy away from the adults, though he had to go downstairs for literally everything.

Soobin did his hair and followed his usual routine. He sped going down the stairs as if he was late, ate breakfast as fast as possible and brushed his teeth right after. He made sure everything he used that morning was going straight to his bag. He has had many occurrences of him leaving his shampoo or toothbrush at his house because he forgot to bring them with him, so he made sure to do it this time.

“Soobin! We are leaving in ten minutes! Make sure we have to drop you off at school and not somewhere else!” His mother said loudly from the first floor of the house.

“Ok mom! I’ll do it right away” he answered

He was sure it was at the school where he needed to go, Kai and the mail he received said so, but just in case, he checked and took his belongings down stairs.

“I’m ready, and yes it is at school … why are you so dressed up? Are you going somewhere after?”

“No, no, just in case your friends look at you with us, we don’t want to embarrass you in front of them”

“Sure ... I thought you weren’t going to step out of the car but fine, also can we leave earlier, I want to talk to Kai if he shows up earlier”

“Not without saying goodbye of course, will my bunny go away without saying goodbye to his favorite grandma?” his grandma said across the living room with a big smile

“Sorry, grandma. I love you so much take care” Soobin said as he hugged his grandma and left a big kiss in her cheek right after. “Take care you too grandpa, you better be here when I come back” he said jokingly.

“Choi Soobin!” his mother screamed at him for those inappropriate jokes he sometimes did. This time she didn’t give him a smack in the head, maybe it was a little funny to her too.

“My grandson as funny as always, I’ll miss you”

“I’ll miss you too”

With that, he went out of his house with his parents who were dropping him off together. Before he could enter the car, around ten interviewers made their way to him and started bombarding him with questions. He had forgotten that the list of students that made it to transfer to SHS was always published a month after the students knew themselves; he just didn’t think that would be today.

“How did you manage to get in, do you have contacts inside the school? How do you feel now that you have entered one of the most prestigious schools in the country? Did you cheat in your exams to have a high score? Do you have any tips for other students that aspire to be accepted?” Those type of questions he heard, some rude, others with good intention but he didn’t have the answers to any of those, he just was shocked of what was going on.

Then his mother pinched him at the back of his arm for him to say anything at all while she and his father put their smiles of proud parents, they knew this moment was coming so they practiced from time to time in front of each other. Then Soobin spoke to get it over with.

“I-, I, would just say to those students to never give up and study very hard … thank you” then made his way to his car pushing some people out of his way, he didn’t want to arrive late to the camp trip.

Even when he was inside, the crowd was still taking photos of him and screaming questions through the window. It was a little scary if you asked him, his family couldn’t afford the repairs if the car was damaged, or worse his father would step outside and start fighting with them, so he just told his family to move forward as soon as possible.

“Did I do well honey, I had the biggest smile I have ever had in front of a camera, can’t wait for it to be published” His mother said very proudly to his father

“You were amazing! I am sure you came out beautiful”

“Definitely, you know Soobin when I was younger a bunch of guys followed me around”

“Yeah but she chose the best one out of them right?”

“Of course, love and you proved me that once again … I love you”

Now everything makes sense, the whole dressed up thing, the fake smiles and everything was just a facade for the media. He felt so used, his own parents making use of him just to be on the news, he was just out of words.

“So … mom are you going to see how Kai is doing, you know up close?”

“Oh no honey, we will stay at the car. I will wish him the best from here”

“Why? You are so pretty today … maybe one of those rich moms that are going to be there will be jealous of you”

“Hehe no, I’ll just stay at the car, right honey?”

“Y-yes of course, we may say something that could ruin your reputation so we will stay right here”

“Oh ok”

He knew exactly what was going on, his family wasn’t embarrassed of him, just of themselves. He would never be ashamed of coming from a not so well stablished family, after all, he was going to a school full of rich kids and there was no way of hiding it.

“I won’t be embarrassed if you come with me” he finally said

“It’s not that Soobin, we just want you to begin from cero, no one has to know your background unless you tell them”

“We don’t feel ashamed from our humble life if you are thinking that. We don’t want the other kids to make fun of you and that their first impression of you is that you aren’t like them, kids are very harsh sometimes”

“I don’t mind if they do, that’s just who I am”

“As your parents we are glad that you think that way, you are such a great kid. But if there is something, as little as it is that we could help you with, we will do it, even if it meant hiding ourselves from others”

Soobin didn’t know if he should thank them or answer back so instead he stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. He almost shed a tear because of this, his family was always giving everything they could for him, but in this occasion it wasn’t thankful he felt, he felt sad.

“Ok, we have arrived” His father said

“But this is the entrance, the gate is open, why are we stop- … dad, this is too much“ He couldn’t face to face them, not now

“Soobin, kid … just today, then every other day we will do as you say. Just give us today, for our piece of mind”

“We would go, seriously it is just that we may hide from them but who will hide the car” His father said comically to try to make him feel better.

“Ok … I understand, just today, promise?” Soobin said nodding

“We promise, we love you”

“I love you too, take care”

“Take care son enjoy as much as you can”

“I will” These were the last words Soobin said to his family before stepping out of the car. He was going to make sure to make them true. Right after they left a thought came to his mind. Which rich kid arrives at school by foot? None, he was doomed. Now people will think he came by bus, which is much worse that by a car that was manufactured twelve years ago. Why didn’t he think of this earlier?

* * *

Yeonjun was minutes away from school; he knew the route even with his eyes closed, after spending all of his life in the same campus this was an easy task for him. He wondered if Beomgyu would be there when he arrived, probably not, it is more possible for him to have fallen asleep than to be on time. For that reason, every time they went out Yeonjun arrived twenty minutes later than the time Beomgyu set, and still he got there earlier than he did.

“Master, we have arrived, I wish you the best in this trip” The driver said as Tortoise went to free the luggage from the trunk

“Thank you wheels” Yeonjun said as he got out of the car.

It was a sunny day, his favorite type of day; sadly, he wouldn’t enjoy it that much because he wouldn’t arrive to the camp until later. He hoped everyday was like this one the whole month then maybe he should stay there the whole time.

“Goodbye Tortoise, see you later”

“Goodbye master, enjoy your trip”

“I’ll try”

“Well … try very hard” she murmured

“What? Did you say something?”

“Nothing at all”

Yeonjun took a quick glance around him and in fact, Beomgyu hadn’t arrived. He saw groups of people around him, the standard stereotypical groups every school has. Yeonjun had more friends apart from Beomgyu, they weren’t really his friends, they were compliances since they were Beomgyu’s friend. They tried to get closer to him but Yeonjun knew they weren’t the type of people you wanted to be around, unless you had no one with you, which was the case right now. So he went where they were and hoped nobody talked to him until Beomgyu arrived, his best friend enjoyed being the center of attention so it helped him in taking that role of his shoulder.

“Hey Yeonjun! How are you doing! Happy as always am I right?” said one of his so called “friends”

“Yeah, same as always”

“Damn this will be a long day then, you are always so disinterested. Hey, I heard that Misoo is interested in you; maybe you could make a move this trip. We already know that every girl is after you but man, Misoo is another story you should take this chance”

“I don’t feel like it, maybe some other time” There it was again, the same rumors and plans of others trying to hook up with him. There are at least a hundred more male students in his year, what was the big deal with him?

“Man you better take it now! What if she changes her mind?”

“Well maybe you should take this chance and leave it like it is and hook up with Misoo instead of me; it’s a win-win situation isn’t it?

“Could I? Really? Thank you Yeonjun! Hey if I’m being honest I was scared of approaching her because of you but now that you gave me green light you can’t back out now”

“Go ahead be my guest” Poor soul only someone who had a very small ego would even dare to touch him; in this school, it was hard to find, everyone is up their heads and boating of themselves. He feels worse for Misoo, he didn’t know who she was, but it didn’t matter; now this creep was after her.

The conversation came to an end when Yeonjun rectified him that it was ok once again, such a pain. He could hear snips of the conversation his other “friends” were having, they planned on which girl they would like to hook up with in the camp trip, disgusting really. This just aggravated his whole view on romantic relationships, it wasn’t that what they were having was romantic at all, but the thought of someone using another just for pleasure without any feelings at all disgusted him so much. These feelings he developed were the aftermath of watching his mom having to share this romantic moments without actually feeling love for her husband. In a beginning according to others, there was love in the relationship but with time, it turned into what was of today. Sadly, in his life he has never seen his mother share that type of love with his father, so that’s why every time they kissed or hugged it made him cringe.

He actually had the thought of searching for this Misoo when they arrived, he at least had to give her a heads up of what was going on. He wouldn’t do it in any other circumstance, this time because he felt responsible for it.

Yeonjun stared at the road where cars came up and dropped of the other students but there wasn’t Beomgyu in any of them. You could tell which type of student came from every car that came up, but the most recognizable are the ones from the transfers. He could hear the opinions of the other people around him when they arrived at the school, some laughed, others ignored it or they looked down upon them. Yeonjun never put too much of a thought about them, as longs as they answered every question the professor did in class and not him, he was good with it.

Then he heard a lot of talking and laughter around him. This must be because a very old car was dropping another transfer, but it wasn’t; it was because someone was walking to school. This must be the worst day of that person’s life, now there was no way of someone taking him seriously. He was doomed, never in his life, he had seen someone walk to school, everyone knows that if you walk to school it’s because you take the bus and if you take the bus is either, because you couldn’t be dropped off or you simply didn’t have a car. It didn’t matter the answer, these type of people enjoyed thinking the worse of others, and they were having fun.

* * *

Soobin just moved forward, this wasn’t the way to start his school year but it didn’t matter he at least had Kai, right? He better don’t abandon him now that everyone will think of him as a complete loser. He understood why someone would do it, but Kai wasn’t that type of person … right? At this moment he started panicking, why did his parents do this to him? They didn’t do it with bad intent, they were hiding themselves from him for god’s sake it was the total opposite! Then he heard a car heading his way, not only he was going to arrive by foot, now other people had the chance to see him walk by the side of the street, how embarrassing. He looked around and ran with his suitcase and his bag to hide behind a tree, he wasn’t going to let people see him this way. But something worse happened as he hid, right after the car passed the tree it stopped and did reverse. They totally saw him; he for sure was going to become the joke of the year, Soobin the Clown, in business since the first day! Great!

“Mmm, you need a ride? There is still a long way up to the main building” A male voice said after the window of the car was pulled down

“If I can’t see him, he can’t see me” Soobin thought

“I can see half of your suitcase from here, I am sure many others will see it, if they haven’t passed by already”

“…” Ugh why god, why, this is so embarrassing just kill me now. His cheeks were flushing so hard as a volcano; he was going to erupt if this conversation kept going.

“Ok, I guess I’ll just move on, let’s go … by the way I can see a car coming in but it doesn’t matter, bye!”

“Wait! Please wait!” Soobin screamed as he made his way to the car. The trunk pulled up as if they expected him to give up, how embarrassing. He closed it and stepped in so fast that it may be a world record, it didn’t matter, for now he was safe.

“Well, that was fast, there wasn’t a car coming even. I guess my plan worked, didn’t it Dimitri?”

“As smooth as ever, master. It even surpassed my expectations, did you see that speed. Haven’t seen that in ages”

“Just kill me now” Soobin spoke as low as he could

“You don’t have to die, those rich kids won’t have a thing to say about you now, let’s go Dimitri. Do some turns to waste time; let’s give him some time to calm down”

“As you say” the man responded, he had an accent Soobin had never heard before.

“So what’s your name?” The guy next to him asked

“Soobin, Choi Soobin” He now looked at his savior, damn he was indebted to so many people now

“Nice to meet you Soobin. I am Taehyun, Kang Taehyun”

* * *

Yeonjun couldn’t ignore the whole murmurs from the people around him. He came by bus and so what? They shouldn’t make this that big of a deal. They know the transfers didn’t have the amount of money their parents had, shut up. What was worse was that nobody went and talked to him, it was so cringe; he wouldn’t be the one to do it of course but he expected some other transfer to do it. Aren’t they like a pack or cult at this moment? They protected each other from the bullying that the rich students did, more specifically his “friends”. Was Beomgyu ever going to show up, where the hell is he?

Once again, noise, and noise, and more noise came from other students. What was it with today? Was there a two for one offer that he didn’t know about? Did another student came walking? That was great news now little rejected could be friends with little rejected number two and they could move on from this situation.

“Look, he is so handsome. And his friend too. Have you seen them before? They must be new.” Now that was it, Yeonjun was losing his patience. He came to this stupid camp to have some sun and peace to himself if somebody would have told him this was going to happen he would have hid in his basement for a month if it was necessary. For a second he hoped it was Beomgyu with two other new students but it wasn’t it was just some car dropping two other guys. This day was such a disappointment, could it get even worse?

“Pff that is what they consider handsome? They better check their eyes; they don’t even have a good face structure”

“Could you shut up, I have a huge head ache and your complaining is making it worse. I can barely handle the fan girls over there”

“Yeonjun, you are the one who should care about this. This buffoons will steal the girls don’t you want to do something about it?”

“For the millionth time. No! I don’t!” Yeonjun really could not handle this guy. One day he will beat him up for sure, only time will tell when it will happen.

“Ok, ok, someone woke from the wrong side of the bed today” Maybe it will happen sooner than expected

* * *

Soobin didn’t imagine SHS would look like this in real life. He had seen the campus and some building from photos of the page of the school, but it was a whole other story seeing it personally. The buildings were very tall, even the ones with one story. They had a Greek palace vibe, but modernized. The rooms had big windows; the main entrance had a huge door that almost touched the ceiling, a complete opposite from his past school. This was truly a new beginning for him, and he was going to take it and make the most out of it.

“Here you have your suitcase master Soobin, hope everything goes well for you”

“Please, don’t call me like that you may never see me again”

“Something tells me that won’t be the case, until next time we meet” Dimitri said before heading to where Taehyun was

“Master, I hope everything goes well in this trip. If you need anything just do as always and I will do my best”

“Don’t worry Dimitri, I may not even charge my phone this whole time so take a break, I’ll make sure to pay for it”

“I can’t promise to do that; I’ll be attentive of your calls anyways”

“Someday I hope you take the offer, do well Dimitri, see you later”

“Goodbye master” With that the tall man left

Soobin was so into the conversation these two were having that he didn’t notice the bunch of people that were staring at him. He looked around but didn’t catch an eye of Kai. Still with his obliviousness, he didn’t notice a thing.

“You looking for someone?” Taehyun asked

“Yeah, I have a friend in this school”

“Must be good to know someone, I guess you are that person for me. Can I follow you until your friend arrives? I don’t want to be all alone, if you don’t mind of course”

“No, not at all. I can introduce you to him as well”

“Thanks, this people seem a bit too weird for me at the moment. I’ll give it some time”

Apart from the whole breakdown he had a few minutes ago, this day was doing just fine. He in fact made a friend without Kai’s help, which is more than he expected. The other students were in his opinion, as normal looking as another 17-year-old person he has seen, apart from the luxuries and the clothes they had. He couldn’t understand why they saw them so attentively; did he have something in his hair? Was he wearing the shirt backways? He knew his parents’ wishes would never be true, these people can smell the bills from kilometers away and he was lacking that scent.

He turned around when he heard a huge motor coming his way. It was a big car, a monster truck he initially thought. Kind of a baby monster truck, a big jet-black shiny baby monster truck actually. From it came a male student with a lot of baggage and expensive clothes, he turned heads, though it was impossible not to look when you made that much of a scene.

“Yeonjun! Hey you came! Such great news” Soobin heard the boy scream through the crowd. He couldn’t get a glance of whom he was talking to

“Damn, I hope I never turn that way” Taehyun said to Soobin’s ear so only them could hear

“I didn’t think I would see this so early in the day”

“Better get used to it”

“Hey buddy!” Soobin heard a familiar voice from behind “Did you miss me?”

“Kai? Hey!” Soobin hugged his childhood friend

“Day one of the best year ever don’t you think?”

“It better be, let me present you to Taehyun. Kai this is Taehyun he … helped me earlier I’ll tell you about it. Taehyun this is Kai”

“Nice to meet you, Kang Taehyun. Just call me Taehyun”

“I feel the same way, Huening Kai, Kai for short”

“Love that name, very original”

“Hey! Thanks, Soobin always meets the best people. Let me see if I can find my friends. Oh! There they are, follow me”

Soobin made his way to where Kai friends were and presented himself and Taehyun did so as well. All this time his friends looked at him as shocked as the other people did. He will ask Kai later about it. They were very outgoing and amicable as Kai, they even had inside jokes that he doesn’t understand, but this made Soobin excited now he was meeting new people and couldn’t wait to know them better. Their conversation didn’t last long because someone called them all to reunite. There were going to be two buses for the whole generation; in Soobin’s mind, it was impossible to fit this amount of people in only two buses. But that changed when he saw them, they were barely buses, in his opinion they were trains that worked on roads, just amazing. The only time he saw this type of buses was when there were international trips that were by road, he has always wanted to go in one of those.

“Inside of the bus there is two stories, please don’t fight trying to go up, there is enough space for all of you …” The woman said

“There is a second floor, in the bus?” Soobin asked to Kai dumbfounded

“Yeah isn’t that cool! Stay close, me must go up” Kai answered with a huge smile

“… at each side of the hallway there are two seats so if you haven’t found a partner, better find someone now or sit with whoever doesn’t have one …” she continued

“Soobin … I forgot to tell you but I can’t seat with you, I promised Seojun a long time ago, I hope you don’t mind”

“Of course he doesn’t, he already has one” Taehyun said

“I hope it is you or expect me to rip my eyes of” Soobin said jokingly to him

“Yeah, yeah, just keep listening” Taehyun assured him, how fortunate was he that he met someone out of Kai’s circle of friends.

“… there will be one stop of thirty minutes so better check your needs there, in total it will take about five hours to get there so before you get in go to the restroom if you need. Please make a line by the door of the buses, those who are ready”

As soon Soobin listened to those words come out of the woman’s voice it became chaos, everyone wanted to be on the second floor. He just felt Kai’s grip around his arm so he did as well grabbing onto Taehyun’s, no stampede was going to separate him from his pair, not after all of this work.

In the end, after fighting half of the students they got the chairs they wanted and settled comfortably. They waited a couple of minutes so that everyone got in the buses and had their seats, and then they left the school. Soobin couldn’t be more excited about this trip; he just hoped everything went as well as it had up until this moment. In the other hand, someone else wanted for it to not be what it has been. Which will prevail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you so much for reading the story, I hope that you are liking how it's going. I appreciate all your support, see you in the next I update <3


	5. One way road, No turning back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I recently created a Twitter account so we can interact with each other, my username is @kenthedoggo so make sure to follow me! Let's be friends! <3

“Is the view amazing? It better be, you took the best spot there is” Taehyun said

“Don’t be so grumpy, on our way back you can have it. But if you really want it we can switch after the stop, that way you can have the window too” Soobin said to his new friend

“I don’t mind, but if you want to I guess I have no objections”

“You don’t seem very into it so I won’t change seats; after all I appreciate the window more than you” Soobin knew what kind of reaction he was going to get. He didn’t joke around that much with people he just met, but a new life means a new Soobin, also the fact that Taehyun was as a jokester as him made easier for them to bond.

“No! You already offered so I am going to sit there after the break, you can’t back away now” Taehyun retorted back

“Fine, fine, as you wish”

“You just met and now you are fighting, you do move fast don’t you” Kai said from the seat in front of them “Maybe is because you are excited and what not but I must remind you that there are people who are going to sleep in this trip so you better shush a little”

“Just go back to sleep, nobody asked you anything” Taehyun answered back to Kai

“Shh, you are going to make him mad. Then there is no way of stopping that beast” Seojun whispered to Taehyun through the hallway.

“Ok sleepy head, we will keep it down”

The first part of the ride was pretty calm; many of the students fell asleep, while others like Soobin and Taehyun talked low as possible so nobody was disturbed. The road trips he had while he was at his other school weren’t like this. Those road trips were loud and no one went to sleep, maybe because the destination was closer than this camp trip but still, the friends he had could barely stop making noise. Soobin was unfamiliar with this kind of situation, but it wasn’t that bad since another joyful person was sitting next to him. He and Taehyun talked for almost more than an hour, they got to know much about each other this time. Soobin now knew that Taehyun spent abroad most of his life and came back to Korea from time to time when the jobs of his parents required it. They worked in a big chain of hotels around the planet, so they needed to constantly move to make sure the administration of each of their businesses were doing well. He told Soobin he was going to stay in Korea for good even if his parents wouldn’t be with him. Taehyun wanted to stablish friendships, stay in one high school and go to college after, so he did.

“But, enough about me, I am curious about something” Taehyun

“Well what is it?” Soobin asked

“Mmm, what happened this morning? Why were you … you know … doing that to say it like that”

“Hehe, it is such a mess. If you want the short version, my parents were going to drop me off as normal people do, but they preferred to not expose my background to … “them” so they asked me to arrive by myself. They meant well, but we didn’t think it through. It would have been so embarrassing to show up like that if you didn’t help me out, thank you for that again”

“I see … don’t worry about it, you know your parents are very cool for what they did. Only the most giving do what they did, they are good people”

“Yeah, I think so too. Now that I think about it, where is Dimitri from, he is certainly not from here”

“Three years ago in one of those business transfers my family and I went to Russia for almost a year. We had Dimitri as our employee for that much time, after that it was time to go, but my parents trusted Dimitri like no other so they decided to offer him the opportunity to stay with us in exchange for a permanent job, and he accepted so now he is with me.”

“So he will be in your service, instead of your parents’, while they aren’t here I guess”

“Very much”

Was this normal in every household of rich families? Soobin had seen in dramas and other movies the luxuries of this type of people but it still was difficult for him to relate to it, since he didn’t grow up with these circumstances. The thing that weirded him most wasn’t the fact of having helpers with you, more the fact that they referred to him as “master”. Soobin doesn’t know if his mind is that dirty but the use of that word makes his skin squirm.

“What do your parents do? Like for work” Soobin jumped at this since he was lost in thought

“My mother was a professional dance teacher, but she started working at the restaurant my grandparents have. And for my dad, he is an assistant to a vice-president in some company” Soobin decided to keep his mouth shut for now of the company his dad worked in, in case one of his classmates had his father be the boss of his father, or even be the CEO. You never know, and he didn’t want to go through that risk.

“Oh! So you know some moves” Taehyun said with a smirk in his face

“Don’t, just don’t”

“Come on, I am sure you know to move. I can see it through your eyes; you are definitely a heartbreaker too”

“When we come back I am taking you to buy the lottery you know everything. You better know the winning number”

“Tss, how humble. One day I will see you move those hips, Shakira I will call you”

“Hey!”

“Shh, people are trying to sleep remember”

After this, Soobin and Taehyun talked for a couple of minutes more before they also decided to fall asleep until they did their stop. He can now understand why people go to sleep in the bus, you feel likeyou are in the VIP section of a jet. Soobin has never been in a jet, not even for business class, but he can imagine this is how it would feel.

* * *

Yeonjun didn’t have to fight for the spot he wanted like the other kids, he had Beomgyu to do that job for him. He in fact was the last person to get in the bus, he just went upstairs and seated by the window besides Beomgyu. He had told Beomgyu to save him his seat while he “went to the bathroom”. He knew Beomgyu was going to talk all the way to the campsite but he convinced him to talk to his other friends that were in the isle next to them because he had a huge headache, which in fact he did. After so much stupid words came out from that other guy he just wanted to die.

So right after he sat he brought out his headphones and played some music. Now he can enjoy the sun as he likes, nothing better than your favorite playlist and a calm sleep with the sun beaming to your face. If this was good, he couldn’t wait to lay in the grass of the camp. The first week is the worst since people actually do things, well … that wasn’t the problem, the problem was that they expected him to do them too. He had done all of those activities years before, he just wanted to rest this time. Maybe he could pay some of the students to leave earlier so they can’t do activities at all. In a couple of minutes he had already fallen asleep, he dreamt of nothing specific, just him and Ken laying in the yard of his house; a familiar scene he has lived many times.

“Isn’t he cute, I would totally date him. Do you think I have a chance?”

Yeonjun has had many of these circumstances happen to him. Every time he fell asleep some girls would do these type of comments, he was growing inpatient. How many times did he have to tell them he wasn’t interested?

“Look at his face; he is so handsome even when he sleeps”

“I have told you!-“ Yeonjun stormed out for a second, but there were no girls looking at him, just Beomgyu facing him with total fear.

“Hey … you ok? Nightmare?” Beomgyu asked

“No … don’t mind”

If it wasn’t of him someone was talking about, then of whom? He took a peak over the seat in front of him where the girls he heard talking were.

“Ugh, thank god he transferred. I was getting bored of looking at the same guys. He is totally my type, maybe this trip isn’t so bad after all”

“Excuse me, could you speak lower, I’m trying to sleep” Yeonjun said over their seat to make them notice his presence

“Yeonjun! We are so sorry we will talk lower. You can go to sleep, we promise not to disturb you” One of the girls said

“Hmm” He nodded, whatever they were talking about was not of his concern

“Yeah ladies what were you talking about so openly? Maybe of me?” That jackass spoke once again. Someone hold Yeonjun back, he won’t make it to the camp trip without destroying this guy’s teeth.

“You wish, Sangwook. Go away” The other girl said with disgust. That was his name apparently, Yeonjun thought.

“Come on just admit it, I’m too much for you”

“If you looked like this then maybe, but that would require you to spend all of your parents’ money in plastic surgery. Until then, don’t think so highly of yourself, after all you are just average and your personality doesn’t make it better” One girl said as she placed her phone in front of that pig’s face.

“Really, drooling over sleeping beauty over here. If you think I wish to be so delicate and pretty like that, you are very wrong. Now I know the one that is messed up is not me but you, go get some new eyes, you need them”

“He is just jealous don’t give him more attention” Her friend said

“I bet even Yeonjun thinks he is handsome, isn’t he Yeonjun?”

Yeonjun looked at the phone that was right in front of his eyes. He saw the new student every fan girl was thirsting over this morning; thanks to him, his headache had gotten worse. As long as he kept his fans and himself away from him, he is sure he will forget about him in no time. Therefore, he gave him no chance to stay in his memory, beginning from now.

“Whatever you say” Yeonjun said, he went back to sleep after that and hoped no one else did more noise until the stop. Thankfully, his wishes came true.

* * *

“Wake up kids, we have arrived at the stop, let me remind you we leave in thirty minutes so be aware of it”

“Soobin! Soobin! Let’s go! I’m hungry” Kai’s voice came out of nowhere

“What? Did we arrive?” Soobin asked still in his sleep

“Only at the stop, come on. Let’s go for something to eat. Ugh, my legs are killing me”

“Yeah ok. Where is Taehyun? Did he already left?”

“He said it was an emergency if you know what I mean”

“Ok, let’s go”

Soobin’s eyes hurt from the blinding light that came from outside the bus. Everyone had their curtains blocking the windows so it made the bus very dark. For some reason he expected for it to be dark already when in reality, it was almost noon. Soobin came out of the bus and looked around to see if he knew where they were. He couldn’t recognize the place.

“Where are we? I’ve never been here”

“It’s just a resting place by the main road, nothing in particular”

“Do you always stop here? It seems nice”

“I don’t know Soobin, enough with the questions lets go for food”

“Fine, fine. Go ahead, lead the way”

Nothing out of the ordinary as Kai said, the place had many vending machines, a couple of restaurants, a set of bathrooms by the entrance and a parking site. He had never gone this far to go to a trip with his school. As he looked around with Kai he noted once again that many people were looking his way, which made him rethink the situation from earlier.

“Hey Kai, let me ask you something”

“No, Soobin. I don’t know the name of this place” Kai said rolling his eyes

“Shut up and listen for a second. Am I wearing my shirt backwards? Is my hair messy? I have something in my teeth that’s it right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone since I came out of Taehyun’s car have been looking at me weirdly. It’s making me uncomfortable”

“Give it some time, when they get to know you they will know how oblivious you are and lose interest”

“I’m lost”

“Do I have to spell it out to you?”

“Yeah, I don’t get it”

“They look at you because you are handsome Soobin, now get over it and help me decide what I should have”

“…” It was the first time someone out of his family thought of him as good looking. He could help but blush and hide his face with his hand. Is this really why everyone is looking at him? It was a new experience for him, not even the girls at his past school approached him.

“And yes. Many people think that way of you it’s just that you are so oblivious that you didn’t notice before. It took shameless rich girls for you to actually be aware of it, thank god you moved schools. How long would you have gone without knowing? Stop acting like that, I already told you, you are just new and people are curious it will fade away” Kai said knowing exactly what he was thinking of.

“Ok, ok, I’ll just act like it isn’t a big deal”

“You better, because it isn’t”

It’s true it isn’t a big deal. At least not for Soobin, he spent all his life without knowing he can do it for the rest of his life. Except the fact that for these people it mattered, and a lot.

“If I told them I’m not rich would they stop looking?”

“Pff, Soobin you are so funny. But no, they would use you for your looks but nothing more. You should step away from anyone that doesn’t have good intentions if you know what I mean, unless you are fine with it: You know the whole “no attachments” thing, you must know. I better stop talking as if I was your father, from now on figure things out yourself”

“Damn, thanks”

“You are welcome”

The rest of the time they spent eating sandwiches Kai bought for both of them. Soobin didn’t want to accept it since he could buy it with his own money but he took it as a welcome gift. After they ate, they went back to the bus where Taehyun was already sleeping by the window. He remembered after all. He seemed very deep in his sleep so he didn’t wake him up. They waited a couple of minutes until everyone was on it and then hey continued their trip. In a couple of hours, they will be finally arriving at the camp. Then suddenly Soobin felt someone grabbing his arm lightly

“Hi, I’m sorry to disturb you, but cold you help me. I can’t get my bag, could you help me reach for it” A female voice spoke to his left by the other aisle of the bus

“Yes, of course … Which one is it?”

“The black one with the blue string”

“Here it is”

“Thank you so much, sorry for that I’m not that tall”

“Don’t worry” Soobin expected this chat to be over, like those small chats you had on the elevator. Hi, how’s your day doing, great, goodbye, that type of chitchat. But she kept talking to him.

“So … what is your name?”

“I’m Soobin, Choi Soobin”

“I like that name, never heard it before”

“Really? In my town it is very common; there is a girl with the same name”

“How curious, did you transfer through the academic aptitude score?”

“Yes I did, didn’t think I would make it but here I am”

“Well Soobin, I am glad you made it too”

“Thank you, this whole thing is very new to me”

“You seem to be doing just fine, if Kai doesn’t show you around at school, let me help you with that”

“Thank you for the offer, but … you never told me your name”

“What! I must have forgotten; I’m sorry. My name is Misoo, Kim Misoo”

“Nice to meet you Misoo”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi this is a shorter chapter, I wanted to make it longer but I felt it was right to leave it right there. Thank you for reading my work and again you are very appreciated if you comment if you like how the story is going! Thank you for your support <3


	6. Strange Feelings

Yeonjun was trying to fall asleep once again, but failed. This time it wasn’t because the rambling from his classmates, but because at the stop he decided to drink a vanilla coffee shake, others would say vanilla frappuccino but Yeonjun hated the taste of coffee so much that he felt embarrassed of himself when he drank it. The people around him don’t know about this little pet peeve so he remained it a secret, only Tortoise knew of it, she was the only person he could admit to when he was craving coffee. He makes the simplest thing the most controversial things, while others felt shame of watching a TV show that is evidently bad but entertaining, Yeonjun felt shame of drinking coffee. There was no reason to feel like this, but he couldn’t stand it, he hated coffee that much; he just craved for it today. Maybe the reason he isn’t asleep in the first place is not because the coffee kept him awake, but because he couldn’t think of something else than shame for drinking it.

“Yeonjun … are you ok? You seem angry, did something happen?” Beomgyu asked to Yeonjun

“Everything is fine, just continue with your life”

“You sure? To find you awake this time of the trip is very concerning, the sun is great after all. This is like the perfect lullaby for you”

“Move. On.” God he was so embarrassed he didn’t want to talk to nobody, Beomgyu better drop this before he goes insane.

“Ok, ok just tell me if you need anything” Beomgyu was very concerned

“Stupid coffee” Yeonjun said so low that not even his friend could hear him

He had to admit, Beomgyu was right, the sun was perfect for a good nap. Unfortunately, the whole coffee thing happened so now he just appreciated the day and his surroundings. By this time they were away from the city, not even a skyscraper could be seen, though, there was still more than an hour for them to arrive at the camp. Yeonjun enjoyed losing himself in his thoughts, he daydreamed very often about pure fantasies he had. He thought was his mom and sister were doing, what he would do if he didn’t have to study, the new videogame that was coming out, and sometimes having existential crisis. He really enjoyed it; if dreaming didn’t happen when you slept, he considered sleeping unnecessary. He was about to put on his headphones and continue with his inner thoughts, but a certain conversation caught his attention.

“Oh no! Hyewon look, Misoo got ahead of us. Now we don’t stand a chance!” It was the girls in front of his seat

“What! Let me see!”

“Why can’t she leave some guys for us, she has the whole school in her disposal. Couldn’t she leave the new guy for us?”

“She is such a flirt, look how she is waving her hair in front of him. Ugh! He thinks she is so perfect”

“She is Hyewon, if only I had that face … and that body … and that personality. I swear even Aphrodite is jealous of her”

“Who?”

“Whatever … I guess this is a goodbye then. We weren’t meant for each other, new guy, see you in my dreams”

“No! I won’t accept defeat, we must not. This is his first day and school hasn’t even started we can do it Tina. Kim Misoo this will be your downfall”

“But she is a sweetheart. I can’t do anything bad to her, she is so nice. She even gave me some of her perfume one day, her perfume, do you understand; I smelled like her for a day. I’m so indebted to her now”

“We won’t do anything bad to her, dummy. We will only give our all and not let her have him, not him. Wait for me new guy!”

“Dammit, why did we choose this bus Hyewon? We ended up with the pig instead of him”

“I know. Misoo is so lucky, not only she had his bus but also the aisle besides him”

“Life is so unfair”

“Let’s make sure we end up doing the activities with him, we must or else he will be gone”

“You are right! Let’s do it!”

Yeonjun was holding his laughter so hard it hurt his lungs and the rest of his body. Was this what witnessing a fan girl meeting was like? If he knew about these, he for sure wouldn’t have missed not even one, not even the little ones. This was so entertaining that he will pay attention to the gossip Beomgyu sometimes told him. What he would do to turn back time to listen to the conversations he missed. How could someone be so delusional? If he was being honest, he for sure wouldn’t discourage them, for all he knew they better be as brave as they sound. That way he will actually presence how their plan goes, not even videogames fulfilled him as this did, free comedy he thought. What he didn’t notice was his best friend staring at him with pure concern, Beomgyu was absolutely scared now. It was very rare to see him laugh, but this maniac grin he had on was new for sure. Beomgyu better start praying tonight, this demon beside him might do something to someone; he just hoped he wouldn’t be the victim.

“Look my friend sent me something” Tina said

“Who is this person that is giving you so much content? I need to be friends with her. She is like a spy cam, totally into it”

“I never reveal my partners”

“Ugh whatever. What did she say?”

“She says … his name is Soobin and he is a total gentleman, but warning, he transferred through the academic aptitude score, total nobody”

“Soobin and Hyewon, how does that sound? I get butterflies just thinking of it”

“You don’t care that he doesn’t have money?”

“Hmm, whatever, we will be poor together then. Soobin and Hyewon the unforgettable love story of the century”

“Wow, you are so cool. My parents wouldn’t allow me to even date him”

“They don’t need to know. We will elope one day and never come back”

“You can do it friend! I believe in you!”

“Thank you Tina, but you must do your best too. May the best contender win!”

“It’s on!”

Now this was golden, Yeonjun was seconds from exploding. He was out of air from holding his breath. Now Yeonjun knew his two favorite people from his school, if he would have known that this Tina and Hyewon were just meters away from him all this time he would have totally approached them and listened to their conversations. He is sure he would even become their friend if it meant having this much fun. When was the last time he enjoyed school so much? From now on, every day will be a blast and they will make sure of it.

“Hi, I am sorry to disturb you again” Yeonjun said to the girls

“Yeonjun! Were we making more noise? I’m so sorry, please forgive us” Tina said

“Don’t worry about it, I wasn’t sleeping I just wanted to ask you … Since when do you go to this high school?”

“Well, we have been together since the first year of school. You must not have known of our existence until now …”

“Really? Kind of awkward … anyways nice to meet you”

“I’m Tina and she is Hyewon, she has also been since first year but don’t mind”

“N-nice to meet you … Yeonjun” Hyewon said shyly

“Just so you know, I believe in you … give your all, ok?” Yeonjun said to them

“Mmm sure, we will” Tina and Hyewon responded, they don’t understand what he was talking about. They don’t recognize that they speak loudly when they are excited, but it didn’t matter because Choi Yeonjun talked to them.

Yeonjun returned to his seat and wiped some of the tears he had from containing his laughter, this was one of the best days he has lived and he made sure events like this would happen in the future. Once again, Beomgyu considered started praying right there in the middle of the trip, who is this person and what happen to the friend he knew?

* * *

She was beautiful, Soobin thought to himself. He didn’t notice her appearance at all right from the start, but now that he was talking to her and paid attention at her, he was totally lost in her presence. He wasn’t the type of person to be so interested in someone so fast. In all of his life he has only crushed for two people, one when he was in kindergarten and the other with a girl from his other high school. In other words he was totally unexperienced in these type of feelings, he had never have a girlfriend and have never approached someone before, it never happened with the other girl because he was too shy to do it. Why was he feeling so hot all of a sudden?

Her long jet-black hair was so enticing, her eyes, her smile, her … everything; she even had a great personality. Who was this Misoo, and why did she make him feel this way?

“Soobin?”

“Umm, yeah sorry … I remembered something and my mind went flying hehe. What did you say?”

“When is your birthday? Mine is August first”

“Mine is December fifth, it already passed”

“Such a bummer, I hoped to give you something when the day came. I guess I’ll have to give you something a little late, just wait”

“No, no. Don’t bother, we barely know each other, I don’t want you to go with the struggle”

“Don’t be so humble; people like us have a lot to give. And is no bother, not since it’s you”

What was going on? Was he blushing in front of her? How embarrassing, why is he feeling this way? She is a total stranger; keep your composure Choi Soobin, it’s just someone new you are meeting, nothing new.

“Don’t tell me you are blushing! You are so cute” Misoo teased Soobin

“I-, I-’m not” he managed to say “It’s just so hot in here, is the AC on?”

“I think it is …”

“Hehe it’s so low, I’m going to die” Soobin murmured

“Are you … feeling ok? You seem way too hot” Misoo said placing her hand over Soobin’s forehead

“I-, I- …” He was out of words

“Give me a second” Misoo took a towel from her bag and wet it with some water she had with her “Here, put it on, it may help somehow”

“Thanks” This better be a remedy for feeling this way or he is completely doomed

“My mom did this for me when I was starting a fever; I hope it helps you in someway”

“I do too”

“You better rest until we get to the camp. It will be bad if you can’t enjoy the trip because you got sick; poor thing”

“Poor Thing?” Soobin thought, was she aware of how he was reacting to her words? “Don’t worry I’ll be fine when we get there, thank you for … this”

“Just go sleep Soobin”

“Ok … I’ll do that”

Soobin wasn’t sure if “sleeping” was a great idea. He for sure wouldn’t accomplish this and will spend the rest of the trip with his eyes closed. On the other hand, he couldn’t continue his conversation with Misoo thanks to this stupid “fever”, in some way it may be better, he would just keep making a fool of himself in front of her if they continued talking. While he continued his “sleeping” he felt someone bump his side with their elbow, it was definitely Taehyun. Just what he needed, someone heard the conversation he was having with Misoo; and worse it was Taehyun, he won’t drop this for a while.

“Stop!” Soobin screamed lowly to Taehyun

“So this isn’t a dream, this is the best day of my life” he whispered

“I’ll knock you out if I need to”

“Sure ... but aren’t you asleep? I thought you were supposed to sleep”

“Stop!”

“Fine, for now …”

* * *

“Students we will be arriving briefly, please wake up and have your belongings near”

Finally, Yeonjun thought. He wanted to arrive to the camp early as possible, not only was he done with seating for so much time but he had grown eager to continue this whole melodrama the fan girls were having with the new guy. When he looked through the window he could recognize the scenery, how couldn’t he, he has gone to this camp since he was a child every year. Through the branches of the trees he could take glances of the lake, they were in fact very close to arriving, he couldn’t wait to get off.

His bus got there seconds before the other so they left the bus before the others. Yeonjun totally forgot he had a friend with him, he just cared about staying close to those girls, he won’t miss their reaction when the new guy steps out of the bus. He can almost grasp it in just a couple of seconds. Then he saw him, going down the stairs of the bus, he was in fact handsome he will give him that. What he didn’t expect was a wet towel over his head. Was he sick? What would the fan girls think about it?

“Oh no! Is he sick?”

“Hyewon what will we do? We need to help him, he seems to have fever”

“What was your contact doing all this time? She doesn’t do her job well, doesn’t she?”

Oh yes, here we go, just as expected

“Tina, this is an emergency, we need to be the first ones to give him medicine. He will be so thankful that we did I bet he will fall over my elegance and solidarity”

“It’s my moment to shine see you at my wedding, I’m going to give him this medicine I bring with me. Wish me luck!”

“Tina! You traitor, we were going to do this together! I see how it is, bring it on this is war!”

“It will barely be a fight, just stand there and wait-“

Why did she stop midway? Go ahead rant a little more; I’m having a good time, Yeonjun thought. Completely confused as to why this girl now stood as a stone in the middle of everyone he glanced over where she was staring. He saw the new guy with Misoo, she was pressing the towel a little harder over his head. She was struggling to do it; this guy was tall, though he crouched a little just like couple do when they are about to … Wait, what is going on in here? Are they together? No way …

“Tina, she stole him from us. Is it a goodbye? This early? I can’t do this” Hyewon said, she even had her eyes wet from the tears she was holding … damn she was really into it.

“Hyewon, what will we do?”

“I don’t know”

So … this was Misoo, the girl everyone talks about. In his opinion, this situation wasn’t that big of a deal. Just by looking at her Yeonjun knew that she was a big flirt and never really meant the way she acted. This must be normal for her, that may be why everyone always misunderstood her and thought she was interested in them. He doesn’t know her, but he knows people like her, innocent and oblivious; though there was a probability she faked this personality and hid her true intentions. That would be such a good plot twist, he couldn’t wait how it would all develop, new guy brokenhearted and his delusional fan girls fighting over him, must watch.

“Look Hyewon, she is taking care of him … why can’t I do that?”

“I know, I wished that smile was for me, Kim Misoo, why are you so perfect?”

He took another glance at the guy and he was just standing there talking to her now. Where they seeing things he wasn’t? They definitely didn’t kiss, he just crouched to help her a little and the whole world of Tina and Hyewon crumbled. Mysterious beings they were, worth to keep studying.

“Yeonjun! Why did you run away that way? You left me all the way at the back” Beomgyu said. He could hear him coming from behind him doing the stomps he did when he was mad

“Shh, I’m busy”

“What? Who are you looking at?”

“Shh! This is the best part” While they were talking, Hyewon was giving Tina encouragement words for her to finish her mission. Seconds before they were fighting and now, they are giving each other props … and all for a guy, amazing.

“Is that … Misoo? With the new guy?”

“Shh! There she goes!”

“Who-?” Yeonjun covered Beomgyu’s mouth for him to stop talking, he was very serious about this situation.

Yeonjun watched from the distance how Tina approached the new guy awkwardly. He interrupted the conversation Misoo was having with him, from what he could see the guy vowed down and said thanks to her. Then came a very awkward moment when Tina didn’t say anything back and just stood there, how lame, pitiful, cringe … so perfect. Yeonjun was having a blast this camp trip, and it was just beginning.

* * *

“Umm, do you want to say something?” Uhh, this is so awkward, this girl came from nowhere and offer him medicine, he was thankful for this really, but now she just stood there. Did she expect him to pay her? He would of course but she doesn’t speak at all.

“Tina, are you ok?” Misoo asked

“If you need me to pay you, I’ll do it, sorry for not understanding … mmm how much is this?” Soobin said

“No! I don’t need you to pay for it” Tina finally said

“Ah ok, then … thank you for it … Tina is it?”

“Yes! Tina, Jang Tina, at your service!”

“At your service?” What was this girl talking about? Did she work here? She seems so young to be working in a place like this

“Tina, I think Hyewon is calling you … she keeps waving this way” Misoo said to her

“Hyewon?” Soobin didn’t understand what was happening at all, so he glanced the way Misoo was looking and noticed a girl jumping and waving her arms like a chick trying to fly. What is wrong with this people? Right after he looked at her she hid behind two guys. One of them was almost choking the other while the other fought back to gasp some air. And then he made eye contact with the “abuser” they stared at each other for a couple of seconds … no reason in specific.

“I’ll be back with her, enjoy your medicine!”

“I will, I guess … thank you again, Tina” Soobin watched the girl disappear from his sight in the crowd and thanked Misoo once again.

“Don’t worry about it for the tenth time just promise me that-“ Misoo was interrupted by the woman that made the announcements.

“Kids, gather around … right now we will separate you in groups randomly. This will define the cabin where you will be staying and the companions that you will have. As most of you know, you won’t be able to exchange your cabin until the end of the second week, so please don’t even try it we will find out anyways. For those who don’t know what happens if you try to do this just ask the people around you, they know it very well. Stay close and wait for us to call your name”

Soobin can’t seem to get a glance of Kai or Taehyun, he must have lost them while talking with Misoo. Where are they? Why did they leave him in this moment? He just hoped he could be roommates with either one of them, or even Kai’s friends it would be weird if he ended up all alone. From what he could hear the cabins had either six or eight beds so there where big chances he would end up with them, right?

“Cabin 5 … Kwon Hyewon … Kim Misoo … Jang Tina …” The woman said

“Well I have to go, see you later. Let’s finish our conversation by dinner then, bye!” Misoo said to Soobin before going to the front. He couldn’t say bye, his tongue betrayed him again.

The cabins went up to the number twelve, though there were still cabins to spare. Not all of the students attended this trip, since they go out of the country or decide not to go, but this year many of them came. After some minutes passed now every female classmate was sorted into their respective cabin, now he could see Taehyun and Kai standing all the way to the other side from where he was standing.

“Now for the boys … Cabin 1 … Cabin 2 … Cabin 3 … Huening Kai and that would be it for Cabin 4 … Cabin 5 … Cabin 6 … Cabin 7 ... Choi Beomgyu, and Kang Taehyun … Cabin 8 … Cabin 9 … Choi Soobin, Choi Yeonjun, …”

Soobin felt a little down since he didn’t end up with his friends, but it felt a little good knowing they weren’t with each other; a little selfish he knows but he had to admit it made him feel better. He went to the front and looked at the other guys he will be sharing the cabin with, they didn’t seem bad people, but for sure it will be very awkward since none of them seem to talk to each other. It is like if each of them was apart from their circle of friends and had to share roof with total strangers. He doesn’t know what he will make out of it but he will try his best. After all, he promised himself and his parents he was going to enjoy this trip, and he definitely will. Though he didn’t know, the person standing right next to him could change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! We are starting now for real the camp trip ark! I’m sorry if you don’t enjoy very slow burn fics, I just enjoy writing so much that I like to make my stories as long as possible. I have not forgotten about the family curses they have and the main relationship, which is why you are reading this in the first place, so please be a little patient with this matter. I hope you are enjoying the story and once again thank you for your support! <3


	7. The Cabin

Was this a good situation or was he screwed? He couldn’t decide which was. He had to share cabin with the new guy aka everyone’s sweetheart, why him out of everyone; well at least it wasn’t that pig he despised. Maybe it’s not that bad, he may hear the other side of the situation. When the sun is out he will hear the gossip from the fan girls and by night his, hmm it’s not bad, though he had to make sure to have any kind of relationship with him or he will be involved in the mess.

When each person from Cabin 9 reunited in front of the camp counselor, he noticed that the only person he knew was the new guy. It’s funny to him, because he recognizes the new guy instead of his own classmates who he has been with all year, maybe even more. He isn’t sure if one of them was in his class this year, he will never know. After all the cabins were only for sleeping and taking naps. There was nothing else he was going to do in there, so he won’t have to talk to them if necessary. He noticed they thought the same as him, apparently, they don’t even know each other. Yeonjun is not that much of a socially excluded person compared to this people after all, while others depended on their circle of friends; he depended on … Beomgyu, but he was more accustomed to this situation so he had more experience with it.

“Cabin 9 follow me, I’ll show you where your cabin is located” Their respective counselor said. He was a young adult, seemingly a jock but not really. He seemed like a nice person, that type that if you did something bad, he wouldn’t rat you out. Maybe he can use that in his advantage some time. “Some of you already know where it is, but I’m ordered to at least do this much so just bear it with me”

Yeonjun knew where Cabin 9 was, how wouldn’t he? It was one of the four cabins by the lake. The first four were near the main building where the counselors slept and where the kitchen and dining room were. The next four where right in front the soccer field, not only that, it had a huge open space surrounded by trees where people took picnics, did sports, laid down and relaxed; this was his favorite place but he was one cabin away from being near that area. Well at least it isn't that far as Cabin 9 was the farthest from the lake but the nearest to the field, it was well balanced. The other cabins after the number 12 where more into the woods, but no one used them since not many students stayed at a time; it was an accomplishment that they were filled up to 12. As for the girls, it was the same but they were at the opposite side of the camp. They followed the trail, which connected all the cabins, from time to time there were signs that indicated which way to go, but after all of this time, Yeonjun knew this place like it was his own home so he didn’t need them.

“Now, we have arrived. If I’m not wrong this is an eight people cabin but you aren’t eight people; maybe they haven’t arrived or got separated from the group … well it doesn’t matter good for you, you can choose the beds that you’d like. Go ahead and see you at dinner, around 7 pm. Right now, it is 1:30 pm so you have lots of time to do whatever you like, if you are hungry, I think there will be snacks for later so you can go and get some. This is a goodbye for now; hope you enjoy your stay here. If you need me I will be by the main cabin or by the lake, well see you later.”

Yeonjun counted the people around him, they were just five of them … weird, maybe they will appear later. It didn’t matter that much to him; after all, he is sure the pig is staying in cabin 6 with some of his friends. The less the pigs he had to stay with, the better he will enjoy this trip, now he considers not moving cabins even after the second week passes.

* * *

Soobin was surprised that this place existed, if he knew about it he would have come with his parents one day. He isn’t sure they would be able to stay the night since just coming to here costs a lot, but just walking with them in here would have been a good experience. These “cabins” people talked about weren’t cabins at all, he imagined like a wooden shack that had a creaky door every time it moved but no, it was almost a house though made of wood. Just from looking at them from the outside made Soobin excited of how they looked from the inside. He followed his counselor to their cabin, from where it was located he could see the lake and some part of the soccer field they passed by earlier. Soobin made sure to memorize the cabins Kai and Taehyun were staying, 3 and 7 he repeats to himself.

After the counselor left, he with his roommates, to say it like that, entered the cabin. Two of them slouched on the sofa in the living room that was at the entrance of the cabin and used their phones to avoid talking to someone else. Soobin as curious as he was started looking around the cabin. He opened every door and looked inside of each of them. There were three in the living room, apart from the entrance. Two of them were bathrooms with their respective showers, he thought there would be a community showers as the camps in the movies he has watched. They were spacious, a little more that his bathroom at home. The third door connected to the bedroom, it was a community room as he expected. The other two guys were already choosing their beds. There were eight single beds, four by each side. This room was huge, it was most of the cabin and beside every bed, there was a wardrobe that could fit the clothes of one person. Soobin took the third bed from his left, whereas the other two chose the first from the right and the fourth of the left. This will be awkward, he chose the bed besides another guy when there were six more to choose, but Soobin really liked that position. It was in the center where he could talk to almost everybody without being loud and it was besides the guy who was with Tina’s friend, Hyewon was it? So maybe this guy was an easy person to approach now that he knows one person close to him.

It felt so weird being with them, nobody talked to each other and while they unpacked, the other two guys were still by the sofa in the living room. He moved as fast as possible when he had to order his underwear, he still felt ashamed of others looking at it. When he finished packing, he went to the bathroom to splash some water to his face, the day was hot and he felt a little dirty from the sweat that was coming down from his forehead.

“Aren’t you going to lock it?” Soobin heard a voice from behind him as he was opening the door. He turned around and saw the guy that talked to him, he was the one that chose the first bed from the right.

“What do you mean? Lock what?”

“Your wardrobe, you can’t imagine how many pranks are made to new comers because they don’t lock it. If you don’t want to, just expect to see you underwear waving as the camp flag by the entrance or floating by the lake, you choice”

“How do I lock it?”

“There is a key at the top of it, you can reach it easily”

“Thanks, I didn’t know”

Soobin before leaving looked for the key at the top of the dusty furniture. After finding it he made sure to lock the wardrobe, he checked thrice, the other two guys must be laughing at him in secret.

“Why would they put it where no one can see it?”

“Some of the counselors like when we do pranks like that, and also in case a raccoon enters it doesn’t steal it”

“Hmm I see, thank you for warning me about it”

“Don’t mind, the hard part begins now”

“Hard part?”

“Well you managed to lock it, now you need to keep it locked. You need to hide that key somewhere or bring it with you at all times”

“Are these people that invested in these pranks?”

“Believe me they are”

“Thank you, again. My name is Soobin, Choi Soobin”

“Nice to meet you Soobin”

As they talked, Hyewon’s friend, as he knew him, finished unpacking and left without locking his wardrobe.

“Hey shouldn’t we warn him too? He didn’t lock his” Soobin said to his new friend

“He doesn’t need to do that”

“Why not? Is he the one that does the pranks?”

“It’s because he is Choi Yeonjun, nobody messes with him and he doesn’t mess with anyone either. That’s just how it is”

“Is he the son of the principal or something?”

“He is more than that; he is the son of one of the most powerful people in this country. You need to know more about this people, if you want to be social in a place like this”

“Damn, if you put it that way ...”

“I know it may sound bad, but you can’t just talk to everyone here like they are normal people. Some of them take social status way too serious and could put you in a complicated place, so always know a little before starting conversation”

“Is there someone in this cabin I shouldn’t talk to? Or should be careful around?”

“Of the five people in here everyone is safe; don’t know of the others who haven’t arrive. Also, don’t expect the other two to be very social, they are just like me. Trying to be as invisible as possible. The only reason we go to this school is for a better future, nothing less nothing more”

“So you also entered through the academic aptitude score?”

“Yeah a year ago”

“I see …but why would you come here in the first place if it isn’t for fun or something like that?”

“The food is good, there is a lake, the sun is amazing here, there isn’t smoke like in the city and I also need some time apart from my parents. Though I don’t know if I will be staying here all month, the last week is a little chaotic as everyone does as they please. It is fun if you have friends but for me is just a bunch of noise and disturbance, also for the fact that everyone leaves the cabin which leaves me all alone”

“That must not be good, are you ok with that?”

“Is the life I’ve chosen so, yeah. I promised myself university will be different so don’t worry about me and do your thing. I don’t plan on changing this year”

“Ok, I’ll let you do your thing. Again, thank you for the warning”

“Of course”

Soobin feels a little down after that conversation. Were there bad people as that other guy said? Now he doesn’t know if they are friends, now they just seem as acquaintances. From the people he has met everyone seems like a good person, like Kai, Kai’s friends, Taehyun, Tina, and maybe Hyewon; how could he forget also Misoo. He must be lucky he hasn’t met the superficial type of people yet, he should ask Kai about them before he does something stupid.

Soobin continued what he was doing and went to the bathroom to clean his face as he planned minutes ago. He made sure to carry his key with him instead of hiding it for now. He doesn’t know this place at all and the constant anxiety of not knowing if your key was found or not may cause unnecessary stress. He went out the cabin and headed to the direction the cabin of his friends where, he hopes they have finished their things so that Kai can show Taehyun and him around.

He knocked on the door of Cabin 7, Taehyun’s cabin, which was abnormally loud. What was going on in there? No one answered the door so he opened the door and came in. Nobody was in the living room, which was a little smaller than the one he had. So he knocked on the door that led to the bedroom, but once again no one opened the door so he went inside anyways. There he found three guys having a little “friendly fight" he would say, one of them was the guy who Yeonjun was choking earlier. He glanced to see if Taehyun was there, and he found him standing in the corner with the other two guys. This was a six people cabin, so it was a little smaller than his was, apart from that he could say it was the same. He entered making himself the less noticeable possible and noticed Yeonjun standing by the side of the fight. He may be here looking for his friends too, just the same as he was.

“Taehyun! Over here!” Soobin talked a little loud so he could notice him, it worked. Right after that Taehyun walked up to Soobin and they both left the cabin. “What was going on in there?”

“The three of them were fighting for the same bed”

“Oh, I see …”

“Was your cabin this extra or are they normal?”

“They seem very quiet. It may be hard for me to be friends with them. They don’t seem to want to make friends. But I haven’t met all of them yet so there’s still hope”

“Well, the cabins are just for sleeping so let’s just stay out the longer we can if we don’t want to go in”

“Sounds like a plan, also did you lock your wardrobe? There seem to be pranksters around here”

“One of them mentioned it while fighting so I caught up to it”

“One guy in my cabin told me before I left, imagine my clothes all over the camp”

“Might be fun, who knows”

“Yeah, who knows” He said sarcastically “Have you been here before?”

“Well … I haven’t been in this country since I was a kid so I don’t think so”

“Oh, right I forgot about that”

They made their way to Cabin 3, which was surprisingly very far away from theirs. It may have took Soobin 5 minutes to Taehyun’s cabin in a slow pace but this travel was longer than they expected. Now they realize they will have to walk all of this every time they have to eat; not only that, they will have to walk it back to their cabins too after eating. It would be bad if he had to do it alone but now that he knew more people Soobin is sure these walks won’t be as bad as he imagines.

Kai’s cabin was like Soobin’s the difference was that many of them knew each other and it wasn’t as quiet as his. Though there were more than eight people inside, apparently some people from Kai’s friend circle didn’t get this cabin but stopped by to look around. Kai’s group consisted of six people but three of them ended up in the same cabin the other three were separated into other cabins. Right when they knocked Kai opened the door and let them in.

“Hey are you done packing?” Soobin asked Kai

“Yeah, I’m just talking to my friends. Three of us ended up together and the others are jealous”

“Very understandable if you ask me, you don’t have to deal with three monkeys in your cabin” Taehyun said to Kai

“Monkeys?” Kai answered back

“Yeah, beasts. They were fighting over a bed”

“You must be with Beomgyu then …he is a wreck but he is very nice”

“Maybe later when they have finished their fight I can meet like normal people do”

“Wait. In which cabins are you guys?” Kai asked them

“Taehyun is at 7 and I am at 9”

“I think Seojun is with you Soobin, he is inside making a fuss for being alone maybe you both can survive this together”

“Don’t fill me with hope”

“Hey Seojun! In which cabin are you?”

“I’m at 9 thanks for reminding me” Seojun said to him

“Hey! I found out Soobin is with you! It isn’t that bad now right”

“You are kidding right! Are you really with me?” Seojun asked Soobin astonished

“Yes, I am nine too. I guess we will be staying together”

“Thank the lord; I should have gone there earlier. Now there must be no beds to choose from”

“No, actually when I left only three had been claimed. The others are doing other things around the camp so if you hurry you can choose”

“Which is your bed? So I can get one close to you”

“The third from the left, one bed besides me was claimed by Yeonjun so pick the other one if you can”

“Yeonjun? Well whatever gotta go! See you later”

“Well that was eventful” Kai said to them

“Yeah … Hey do you mind giving us a tour? We both don’t know anything of this place”

“Let’s do it, I’ll just leave the others, they can figure it out”

Kai gave them a brief tour of the main building since it was the one closest. The second floor consisted of the bedrooms of the counselors and the first was a community-shared space with the students. In there they could eat, play ping-pong or table tennis or just stay there and talk. Then there was the dining room, which was huge and had many tables around so that it could fit that many people. Then they went out and went to the soccer field and the open green space. It was beautiful, peaceful and perfect for a nap Soobin thought; he just hoped there weren’t that many bugs around. The soccer was so big that from where they were standing, the cabins of the girls that were on the other side of the field seemed smaller. If every day the sun was as great as today, this would be the perfect camp trip. Although everything seemed straight out of a dream, Soobin had to admit it looked like those campsites from horror movies but sunny and without the serial killer.

There was a trail that guided them into the forest but Kai decided not to show them yet since they had a lot of time and that was a long trip; other day they will explore that area of the camp. They continued going down to where Soobin’s cabin was. There they met with Seojun, who was going to look for them after unpacking. According to him, he was the fourth person to claim a bed, the other two were still in the living room and the others weren’t there. Therefore, he was able to get the bed next to Soobin, which made Soobin happy. So they continued with their trip down the trail with him. Kai showed them the lake, Soobin couldn’t see it before because he wanted to see his friends first but now that he was there, he could admire it all he wanted. It was a big lake, it didn’t seem dirty as he thought, and around it were those reclaimable chairs that are used in the beach. Kai told them that it was totally inoffensive and that the biggest animal they would find was a very fat fish so there was nothing to worry about. That was a relief for them, after watching so many horror movies Soobin had grown a little scared of lakes, open water, children in beds, toys and many other things. He was a little extremist in every situation.

“Hey Kai. What is in the other side of the lake? Is it another camp?” Soobin asked

“No. It’s just the public part of the camp. We are in the private section of it but we can go to the other side and look around one day”

Soobin was out of words, he had never been in the private section of nothing; it’s not as if his room counted. Maybe after all he could come one day with his family here, obviously in the public part of it. They walked around their side of the lake and headed back though the side of the girls. It was pretty much the same, just a mirrored image of their side of the camp. As they passed the cabins he noted some were quiet like his and others were as loud as Kai’s or Taehyun’s. The girls must know how to make fun in here too, well he hoped they were having fun and not fighting over something like a bed or other things. As they continued their way to the main cabin, he heard a voice from his behind.

“Hey! Soobin!” She screamed, he has heard this voice before

“Misoo?” He said

“Hey what are you guys doing here? This isn’t your side of the camp, are you creeping up on the girls?”

“How- No! Of course not. Kai and Seojun were showing us around. Right-“ Soobin turned around but his friends were meters away waving at him with their hands. How dare they leave him with her alone!

“They don’t seem to agree with that. First day here and making problems already?” She teased

“No! I swear-“ He wanted to retort more but she put her hand in his forehead before he could go on.

“I don’t know if it is because the day is hot or because you are hot, but your temperature hasn’t gone down” Did she say he was hot? Stop Choi Soobin she didn’t mean it like that!

“Hehe, well they have told me I’m a pretty hot guy” Huh? What words just came out of his mouth?

“Sure …” Misoo said, lifting her hand of his forehead

“That’s not what I meant, I-, I-, I’m- sorry what did I say? I am so stupid” Ugh so embarrassing

“Soobin, stop you are making a fool of yourself in front of the girls’ cabins, people may be watching”

Soobin looked scared now, not only he said “I’m a pretty hot guy” in front of Misoo, now he worried someone else heard it and took it the wrong way. He glanced quickly but couldn’t see people paying attention to their conversation. Only if he knew there were other people paying very much attention to it, he wouldn’t be as calm as he now is.

“Ugh, I should just leave. I’m so embarrassed”

“Don’t worry you don’t seem as that type of guy, I believe you”

“Thank you, hey. Now that I remember … you wanted me to promise you something but we got interrupted”

“Oh yeah. But … I also told you I was going to talk about it until dinner so you will hear about it until later”

“Oh right, ok it’s alright”

“Soobin your friends are calling you I guess this is a goodbye for now”

“My friends? Oh yeah right, I’ll see you later, dinner”

“Yeah dinner” She said with a giggle that made Soobin’s heart crumble.

He returned to his friends who were boasting him up for talking to a pretty girl in his first day. But he assured them it was nothing like that, they didn’t believe him. Soobin’s heart may have crumbled a little seconds before but he didn’t know other hearts by the shadow were now broken.

* * *

Yeonjun regretted his decision, he could be outside resting under a tree in this sunny day, instead he was waiting for this fight to be over. There were three beds left, why were they fighting for one in specific; it wasn’t bigger or any different from the others. He knew Beomgyu was going to lose this fight, so why was he standing here waiting for the inevitable? Seconds earlier the new guy, or Soobin, whatever, entered the cabin and left in an instant with his friend. Life was easier for them; they didn’t have crackhead Beomgyu as their only friend. So he gave up on him and left the cabin, he looked to his right and saw Soobin with his friend walking towards the main cabin; he must have other friends apart from that guy in the first four cabins. Yeonjun did what he wanted to do since he arrived, rest under a tree, his favorite thing to do. He went a little towards the cabins of the girls, even if some were noisy it wasn’t because of stupid things like a bed, also in there Beomgyu wouldn’t find him.

He laid down under a tree for more than four hours. He missed Ken, he hoped maybe one day they could return and play a little and then rest like they do at home. He is sure his dog would like this much space to wonder around, it wasn’t like his patio was small but he knows Ken likes open spaces so he would be happy in here. Yeonjun had his mind empty, just as he liked, no one to disturb it. Every now and then, his mind wondered where Soobin was, it wasn’t because he was obsessed with the guy or anything like that. He just wants to know if Tina or Hyewon have done something stupid in front of him again and his business with Misoo. Ever since he looked at them so comfortable with each other, his gut hasn’t stopped feeling weird about it. Maybe it was because the pig was after Misoo and if he knows about them being close in that way, he may get mad about it and do something to them, more specifically to him, as he wouldn’t hit Misoo. In some way, he felt guilty of it, but he dismissed that idea and kept going with his nap sessions. That was until he heard a familiar voice scream.

“Hey! Soobin!” He heard. It was in fact a familiar voice. Before this trip started, he wouldn’t have curiosity of other people’s business but now was another story; so he peeked by the side of the tree where he was laying. Yeonjun paid attention to their conversation, but now from up close it did seem as if Misoo was flirting with him. So this wasn’t just a casual chat after all, she did give the impression that she was interested in him. He looked around to see if someone was around, he doesn’t want anybody to know that he was spying on them. In the process, he could see two girls hiding inside a cabin under the window. They weren’t very discreet to put it like that; almost half of their face was out in the open. He could recognize them, they were the fan girls. Yeonjun will need to sit near them when dinner comes, he must not miss their opinions over this. He returned to hear their conversation so he didn’t miss anything. The poor guy is a lost case; I guess he hasn’t flirted with anyone before. Yeonjun hasn’t either, since he wasn’t interested in it but he for sure wouldn’t be that kind of a mess when he wanted to make a move on someone.

He can’t believe what he just heard. Did he say he was a pretty hot guy? Damn, he for sure thought high of himself though he wasn’t that much mistaken, Yeonjun thought, wait what? The new guy was losing his mind over the awkward situation, now for sure he wouldn’t get a chance of getting Misoo. Yeonjun almost got himself exposed along with Tina and Hyewon when the guy suddenly looked around him in search of people overhearing their conversation. He is sure he wasn’t spotted, but he worried about the fan girls, after all, they were his source of entertainment from this day on. It didn’t seem that they were caught; thankfully, they continued their conversation as if nothing happened and they ended it moments after.

Maybe Yeonjun was getting too involved with this situation, someday he will be caught and he doesn’t want to be in that spot. He decides it’s better just to hear from the fan girls’ gossip from then on. Now he was feeling different and he didn’t like that, ever since that guy Soobin arrived his life wasn’t as before, and it was just one day, how could he change him so much in just one day? It was better to keep his distance, he doesn’t want anything to do with him. Hopefully he will achieve this; otherwise, he doesn’t know what will happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry for the late update I forgot the holidays were coming and my schedule became a mess. Also, I apologize for my failed comedy in these chapters I am trying my best hehe, and for some spelling mistakes I noted in some of the past chapters. I usually post the chapter after revising it like five times but some mistakes still manage to go unnoticed so I am sorry for that. I am happy with how the story is going, I hope you are enjoying it as well! Thank you for reading and for your support! <3


	8. Dinner

Soobin felt vulnerable with how many things have happened to him today. He in a way was ready for this day to be over but also didn’t. After the whole conversation with Misoo, his friends teased him for a long time. It was getting dark by now, there was approximately and hour left until dinner started. He wasn’t sure if he should feel excited or anxious about it, it was just dinner right? But, what did Misoo want to them to talk about? He has talked to her more than he has with another girl of his age in his whole life. He still feels insecure about the relationship that was going on between them, he was catching feelings that maybe she wasn’t feeling at all. He also felt like he was taking advantage of her, she was such a nice person and here he was thinking of her in ways that he shouldn’t. What was going on with him? He still fears that the only reason he is interested in her is because of her looks. He knows it isn’t because of that, but ever since he was a kid his mother told him to never get involved with someone just because of their appearance or he would be punished in ways he doesn’t imagine; that thought creeped him every time he talked with a pretty girl.

“Soobin snap out of it, we will leave you alone ok. We won’t tease you anymore but don’t give us the cold shoulder” Kai said to him

“What do you mean? Were you talking to me?” Soobin answered back completely lost in the conversation they were having

“You have officially lost it …” Taehyun said

“Let’s just go to the main cabin until dinner is served. That way we can choose a big table.” Kai said

“Seems like a good idea” Seojun said

They walked a little more to the main building since they were close to it already. They waited by the living room of it, while they were at it they continued talking about nothing in particular. Soobin, in the other hand, couldn’t stop looking at the entrance waiting for someone in particular to get in.

“Soobin let’s go they will be starting to serve”

“Ok, be right behind you”

They went into the big dining room and merged two tables so that everyone could sit together. Minutes after the rest of Kai’s friends entered the room and sat with them occupying all of the seats available. They were the first ones to arrive so they went to the buffet earlier than the other students. The food looked delicious, out of a five star hotel. Soobin had visited some high-end hotels in his life but never stayed in them. His family often went to those to ask for a tour to know about the services these hotels gave, so as a part of it they offered them free lunch for “rating purposes”. His family always came up with clever ways to get free meals from hotels and he appreciated that very much.

He served himself something that didn’t stank his breath later on, like fish or any seafood; you know in case Misoo and he talked as planed later on. However, his mind got filled with thankfulness once again. Now he remembers how much this whole camp trip must have cost to his family, he didn’t want that thought to ruin the night so he will dismiss it for now. In a blink, almost every student was having dinner by this time. It was a couple of second for him, but in reality, many minutes have passed since he sat on his chair.

“Soobin? You feeling ok? You seem out of it” Taehyun whispered to his ear

“Everything is fine really, is just that my mind is very busy right now”

“Ok, you should go to bed early today. It has been a long day after all”

“Yeah right, it really has been”

“Also, don’t know if I should tell you but that girl Misoo from earlier, has been looking this way for quite a while”

“Misoo? Where?” Soobin said looking in every direction

“Don’t make a fool of yourself. She is at your 9, don’t look immediately after I stop talking to you, you will embarrassed me too”

“Fine, just turn so I can look”

“At your service”

Did rich people like that expression? At your service, two people have told him that in the same day; only two times in his life he has heard that said to him. Soobin waited ten seconds until he glanced the way Taehyun told him. He didn’t see her, was he wrong where his nine were at? Were clocks betraying him now too? He looked to every table that was in that direction but again nothing. Soobin then felt a hand on his shoulder, he didn’t mind it since he thought it was Taehyun telling him to stop but it wasn’t.

“Soobin, are you looking for someone or simply ignoring me right now?” A female voice spoke from his behind. Soobin completely ignored it

“Uhh, looking for someone” Soobin kept looking

“Who is it? Maybe I can help you with that”

“You know who I’m talking about don’t tease me more then you have already”

“Mmm what?”

“Soobin! What are you doing” Taehyun kicked Soobin in his foot while hissing to his ear

“What do you-?” Oh no, if Taehyun is right here … then who was he talking to?

“Is this a bad time?” Misoo said

“Misoo? W- w- what are you doing here?” Soobin said completely lost

“Well … I came to talk. I guess it was bad timing”

“No! I am free I swear” Free? Really?

“Sure?”

“Yeah, yeah, at your service” Just shut up Choi Soobin

“Do you want to go out for some air?”

“Fine, let’s go I’m done here, bye guys”

With that the other guys nodded their head and watched them leave the dining room; of course while whistling to Soobin low enough so that only he could hear. How embarrassing not only his friends knew what was going on, now many tables looked their way. If this wasn’t the most embarrassed walk he has done in his life, he thanks god he doesn’t remembers the one.

* * *

Yeonjun after spying on the conversation the new guy and Misoo had, he sat under the same tree for a little longer so that nobody knew he was there while they talked. It was getting darker every second that passed. He could go to Beomgyu’s cabin to see if he was still there so they could go together to the main building or he could go there first and wait for him: just like every occasion, they went out. Yeonjun decided to go to the main cabin and wait for him, that way he didn’t have to walk that much and after all the cabin wasn’t that far from where he was. There were a couple minutes to spare so he walked slowly; it wasn’t a surprise that other people passed him. The night was warm even though it was getting late. He liked this of the camp, at night it wasn’t cold enough so that you needed other pair of blankets. It was enough with the thin ones that gave them in their cabin; sometimes you didn’t need them depending on the day.

He made his way to the dining room where he noticed that some tables were already taken, he also noticed he was the first one out of his “group of friends”; not surprising. However, that gave him the chance of choosing the table he wanted, and he was going to do just that. He looked around and saw the table of the new guy and a couple of tables away the one were the fan girls where. In his right mind he chose the seat that was closest to them but from another table so that he could hear the thirst. He grabbed a plate and served himself a bunch of food he didn’t even look at, he just needed to grab that seat before anyone did. He managed to grab the table before other people could and he waited for the conversation to start. Gladly they haven’t started yet, that way he could hear it all.

The first couple of minutes they didn’t talk about him or anything interesting. By this time Beomgyu and the others, including the pig have already sat in the table. They were thanking him for grabbing a table and whatever else they said, anything that gave them the peace of their mind worked for him. Tina and Hyewon didn’t seem to talk about him so Yeonjun needed to take the initiative.

“Hi sorry, Tina was it right?” Yeonjun asked her

“Oh! Yeonjun! Yes, do you need something? Were we being loud again?” She said

“No, no, don’t worry. It’s just that I heard that you have medicine for colds, is it true? I’m starting to feel a bit off”

“I think I have, let me think where I put it … Oh right, I gave it to the new guy, Soobin, do you know him?”

“Not really, we are just roommates”

“You are so lucky! I mean it’s not that you wanted it to happen but whatever. Well you could ask him for some”

“Thank you, maybe I will” Yeonjun took his seat as before and waited for the response he wanted

“Tina! Do you remember … what we heard earlier?” Hyewon whispered to her friend. Yeonjun could hear it too, the bait worked

“How could we forget!? Where is he? Is he gone?”

“Look around Tina, our lives depend on this!”

“There! Look at him. He looks so depressed. Poor baby” 

“Do you think Misoo left him after the whole pretty hot guy thing?”

“I hope she did, that way we could get a hang of that pretty hot guy. If you know what I mean”

“Oh believe me I do” This is what Yeonjun considers content, now he just had to listen

“Do you remember how cute he gets when he is embarrassed? My heart dies every time I hear him get overwhelmed” Tina says, Yeonjun doesn’t have to see her to imagine the expression her face has.

“I know! He is such an angel; I bet he could fit in my pocket”

“Ugh, imagine having him … We don’t need these thoughts, after all we will get him no matter what. I mean if my medicine isn’t an arrow of Cupid I don’t know what is”

“You are so lucky, I bet if you don’t get him you could at least get Yeonjun with that master tool” After hearing this he had to compose himself and make it seem as if he didn’t hear that part of the conversation.

“I know right, at least I have a guaranteed catch … sucks to be you” Ok Yeonjun is definitely not getting near that medicine at all

“I’m so jealous. Oh look at him, he looks so lost. Is he looking for someone?”

“Is it me he is looking for? Quick! Fix me up a little I must look good for him”

“You got it” Yeonjun could hear a bag being almost ripped open. He also listened as Hyewon brought out some lipstick and makeup to put on Tina. How much would they do to get this guy’s attention? He wanted to figure out.

“Do I look good?”

“Breathtaking friend! Now pose!” Pose? What was she a statue?

“Is he looking at me?” Tina asked while she did her goddess pose

“Oh no friend …”

Yeonjun turned as fast as possible in the direction the new guy was. Sadly for them Misoo got ahead of them and started talking with the new guy. Unknowingly he made his friends curious as to what he was looking at.

“Is that … Misoo? What is she doing with that guy?” Beomgyu asked

“Are you kidding me? She fell for that princess too?” The pig said

“Wasn’t she interested in Yeonjun this morning? She is such a player, it’s so disgusting how she changes her mind” Some other guy said

“Just because she is hot she thinks she can get with every guy at school?”

“Disgusting”

“That guy will get what he deserves. Who does he think he is, coming here and doing whatever he pleases? He will learn where his place is, and I will be the one to teach him” The pig said with an angry tone. After that, he stormed out in the opposite direction Misoo and the new guy were. At least he won’t make drama in the middle of the dining room

“Where did you get that she wanted me in the first place?” Yeonjun said to them in a dry voice

“I don’t need to hear it from someone to know that she wants, do you think we are that stupid?” One guy said

“So you made that whole rumor yourself?” Beomgyu asked them surprised

“Come on, it is barely a rumor. Which girl in this school wouldn’t want to get with him?”

How could these people be so stupid? What were they kids? Now because of their stupid made up rumor Misoo was in a whole mess, the new guy in a bigger one. Ugh how was he going to stop this? He should have told Misoo earlier of this misunderstanding. He was going to go tell them now before everything escalated more than it has already had, but when he looked for them, he didn’t see them.

“Where did they go?” Yeonjun asked Beomgyu

“Do you mean Misoo and that other guy?”

“Yeah them”

“Didn’t you see? When they left his friends whistled at him and everything it must have been so embarrassing for them”

“Are you kidding me?”

It wasn’t the time to go for a sweet date by the moonlight. He needed to get this over with so that he doesn’t feel guilty of anything that happened from then on. As fast as he could give his part of information he could sit back and enjoy the fan girls’ thirst without remorse. Where could they be right now?

* * *

Soobin followed Misoo for a while. He didn’t know where they were going; this part of the camp wasn’t part of the tour Kai gave him. They haven’t talked since they left the dining room; just thinking of it makes him embarrassed once again. So for the first time he takes the lead in this.

“Misoo, where are we going?”

“You will see when we arrive, just follow me and don’t get lost”

“You know if this was a horror movie, we will be the first people to disappear and get killed”

“Is that what you were thinking this whole time? That we were going to get killed?”

“Of course not but it came to my mind”

“You really are weird”

“In a bad or good way?”

“Hmm, maybe good way, who knows”

“You know, now that I think of it … I am younger than you” At this Misoo stopped walking and stayed petrified for some time “Misoo … are you ok? Is there a snake or something?”

“Did you say you are younger than me?” Misoo asked now facing him

“Yeah …” Was it a big deal that he was younger than her? He didn’t think age was that important.

“Ah! So you are a baby! I thought you were older than me how cute!” Misoo said very excited about it

“Hehe I guess” He was blushing a little to this confession

“Come on, we haven’t arrived yet. Meanwhile tell me about it” She continued walking

“Well my parents enrolled me to school a year before so that I wasn’t the oldest in my year, also because they wanted me to study from an earlier age. I am sure they would have done it anyways”

“Wow your parents must be strict about your studies”

“Not really, when I was a kid they cared more than what they do now. Now they just want the best for me and if getting in this school was it, they would do what they could so that I could attend it”

“Your parents are good people, I can tell”

“I know, I am very indebted to them”

“Is that why you are here? To do better and pay them back some other time?”

“Yeah, my family has always been very unlucky when it came to life in general so we always have to work hard to achieve even the small things”

“I understand, it’s not that I have lived it personally but I can understand where you come from”

“Don’t worry, I won’t think badly of you” Soobin assured her

“Thank you Soobin”

“There is no reason to thank me, is common sense you didn’t mean it in a bad way”

“Many people here would have taken that as an insult. You truly are a good person”

“Thank my parents for that, hope you meet them one day” Did he say he wants her to meet his parents?

“I am excited, maybe one day” It went well after all “We have arrived”

“What is this place?” Soobin saw the same lake from earlier but this time from other point of view

“It’s the lake, if you look to your left that’s our camp and to your right the other part of it”

“Oh so we are between both of them”

“Yes, this is one of my favorite places. Not many people come here”

“It’s very quiet right now”

“In a more than an hour we must be back in our cabins”

“Is there a time for that?”

“By nine thirty we must be inside, and lights go out at eleven”

“I didn’t know that”

They sat in a big rock and stayed silent for a long time. They watched the moon and it’s reflection in the lake. There were some fireflies and other insects, like crickets that made noise deep in the forest. That particular noise that comes to your mind when you think of a forest. From time to time clouds went by and blocked the moon, this way they could see the stars that were right above them without disturbances, it was beautiful.

“You know, maybe your family isn’t lucky but I think I am very lucky right now” Misoo said breaking the silence that was before

“Why do you say it?” Soobin asked her

“Because I got to meet you”

Time stopped for Soobin. Is this what people from romantic movies feel like when they confess to each other? This wasn’t a confession at all, or was it? He is so confused right now, but after watching so many dramas, he knows what he has to do. Soobin got closer to her to see if she would back away, but she didn’t. The time has come, Choi Soobin was going to give his first kiss and Misoo was going to be the person he was giving it to. He got closer to her very slowly; he has never been this close to anybody before. This was it; he was really going to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This one is a shorter chapter, hope you enjoy it! What do you think will happen? Thank you once again for reading and for your support! <3


	9. Headache

Yeonjun made his way to where people told him the lovebirds had gone. He was going to lift this weight of his shoulders and get it over with, not one day will pass before he tells them. He knew exactly where they were going, that path only led to one place. Why did they had to go that far? Couldn’t they have gone to this side of the lake? What was the difference? None, not even one thing is different. Yeonjun ran through the path hoping to catch them. He didn’t like the woods at night, this part of it in particular as no one was near him. If this was a horror movie, he would be the one that discovers the dead couple and then get killed right after; he didn’t like it at all. Why was his life so complicated? It would be better if Beomgyu was in this mess instead of him, that guy doesn’t feel guilty of anything he did, he only lives for himself. If Yeonjun hopes to follow that path one day, but right now he can’t ignore his moral compass, stupid moral compass. Yeonjun suddenly stopped when he noticed two figures ahead of him. They were standing there but Misoo was static, not even saying a word. The new guy was asking her something he couldn’t catch, he needed to get closer if he wanted to hear what they were talking. He didn’t want to hear their conversation at all, but he needed to know if they were talking of something serious so to not interrupt.

In a snap of a second, she turned around and screamed “Ah! So you are a baby!” Did Yeonjun miss something important? He didn’t understand what was going on, but it didn’t matter. He was going to talk to them but they had already started walking once again. Just do it Choi Yeonjun! Why were you holding back now? Just go and tell them and leave right after, he thought. Though Yeonjun didn’t do it, he was now following them through the path to the lake. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he continued cursing to himself.

Yeonjun stayed close to them the whole walk but kept his distance. The noises the bugs were doing this late in the night could cover some of the noise he caused while he stepped on some branches. He listened their conversation like if he was paying attention to an audio book, completely silent and with full concentration. He learned of Soobin’s family and his studies, nothing surprising. You could say that every transfer in this school hasn’t lived a comfortable life as the other students have. It was very common for the transfers to have that attitude and to feel indebted to their parents, though, something didn’t seem right … every parent of the transfers were heavily involved with their son’s/daughter’s studies. It made it seem as if they had already given up and just wanted to make the best out of what was left, but this guy doesn’t seem to think this was the case. Then what was it?

He continued walking behind them until they arrived at the lake. While they sat on a rock, Yeonjun stayed near the path, if he was discovered he could make a run for it and they wouldn’t know it was him. He had never spied on someone before, when he was a kid he would try to listen to the conversations of the helpers in the house looking for clues of where his mom was but it was never the case. Not only was he spying on them, now he was getting to know them, he didn’t like that. For him it was difficult to open up to someone else, he only trusts two people with his real self and he struggled every day to keep that a secret from others. Even though they weren’t talking to him or trying to know him, he felt he was opening himself to the opportunity of knowing other people and when let that happen, you start caring about them. He was going to talk to them now, after this he would never get involved with them ever again, not even with the gossip from the fan girls; he needed to cut even the smallest tie he had with them. They had been quiet for so long he didn’t expect them to talk anymore, so he took a step closer to them. At the same time he moved, Misoo started the conversation once again; great timing. What he was hearing made him nervous all of a sudden. Was she confessing to him? He didn’t expect the new guy to make a move after what she said, after all he was a mess in the whole flirting thing; there was no way he would escalate the situation. It was just a confession, nothing special, Yeonjun had confessions very frequent and didn’t make a big deal out of it. He will think the same right? But no he got closer and closer to her, this was it, they were going to kiss.

Yeonjun knew his options, he would let the kiss happen or … he wouldn’t? Why was that even an option? It didn’t matter to him if they kissed at all, so why would he stop it? Whatever, he needed to choose right now, will he let it happen or not? He didn’t know what to do, but his body acted before his mind could. He grabbed a medium sized stone and threw it with all of his strength through the bushes that were behind them. It made it seem as if an animal was running behind their backs, not only that the fireflies and the other bugs got scared of it and started flying and doing alarming noises. Thankfully, he didn’t hit any wasp or bee; if he would have, they could have been harmed because of his impulsive drive. He had no reason to do this, but he did. Every action he did, he made sure not to regret it later, he hopes he won’t regret this one, because he did stop the kiss from happening, he did it. Why was his mind so peaceful after doing it? It didn’t matter, because he did and there is no turning back.

* * *

Soobin could feel her breath in his face; they were so close even a little air current would make the kiss happen. He has never kissed someone before and this was going to be it, he couldn’t wish for a more perfect moment than this. It was under the moonlight, with fireflies around them, with the calming noise of crickets and more importantly with Misoo. The girl who opened to him so fast that he couldn’t take his actions back, he was in some way very attached to her from the beginning. The distance between them was almost nothing, but something inside his mind stopped him from moving forward. He felt as if a lightning snapped in his brain and it made it impossible for him to move. He couldn’t point out if this was his imagination or if it really happened. At the same time he felt this feeling inside of him, some bushes behind of him trembled vigorously. As an instinct, he covered Misoo with his body in case there was an animal that was going to attack them, with this action, the kiss between them didn’t happen. He heard Misoo scream out of fear, he was going to cover her from an attack if he could and he was going to do that. But nothing happened, apart from the erratic noises the insects did, nothing else happened.

“Misoo, are you ok?” Soobin asked her

“Yes, thank you Soobin. Is it gone? What was that?” She said while her body shook

“I don’t know … It must have been a raccoon or something like that”

“Whatever it was it scared the other animals too, look all the fireflies are gone”

“They also got frighten by that”

“I think it’s gone, don’t worry” Soobin reassured her. He was shaking too but he couldn’t fall in panic right now, he needed to stay alert

“Maybe we should go, it’s late”

“Yeah we should. What time is it?”

“Oh god! It’s almost ten! We are done!”

“Let’s go, maybe they don’t know yet”

As Soobin finished talking some bushes moved drastically, maybe the animal was still close to them. They should hurry to the camp. He grabbed Misoo by the hand and sprinted their way back to the camp, they didn’t talk this time at all, as they were occupied with getting out of there alive. When they entered the campsite, Soobin took Misoo to her cabin first while dodging the flashlights from the counselors patrolling the area.

“Thank you for today Soobin it was very special to me” Misoo said at the door of her cabin

“Don’t mind about it, I barely did anything”

“You should learn to accept compliments, maybe one day. But again thank you”

“Sure …” Misoo was opening her door but Soobin stopped her before she could get in “Misoo, what was the promise you wanted me to do?”

“You have already done it; it was to go walking with me at night. To my favorite place by the lake …”

“Oh, I see. Well thank you for it, it was great”

“Bye, Soobin see you tomorrow”

“Bye Misoo”

Before Soobin made his way to his cabin, Misoo turned around and kissed him in the cheek. He blushed and couldn’t react to what she had done, so he stood there looking at how her door closed and she disappeared from his view. If this was the beginning of this trip, he is excited of what was coming after this day.

Soobin returned to his cabin as fast as possible, when he arrived the lights were still on. He entered doing the less amount of noise possible in case someone was asleep, but that wasn’t the case. There were four people in the living room watching TV together; one of them was Seojun who smiled at him when he saw him enter.

“Look who has appeared! Finally, I was going to send the counselors to look for you, I was getting worried” Seojun said in his teasing voice

“Shh” Soobin hissed to him. He also nodded to his roommates who he hasn’t met. “I’ll be right back, I’m going to change”

“Sure, sure … Go ahead. Also, knock before you enter, Yeonjun arrived just now, he may be changing” Seojun said to him

Soobin nodded to him and made his way to the bedroom. He knocked three times and the door opened. It was Yeonjun, he hasn’t properly met him but he has seen him a couple of times before.

“Hi, are you done changing?” Soobin asked him.

“Yeah go ahead” He returned to his bed after opening the door for him.

Soobin entered the room and closed the door behind him. He noticed there was the same guy from before already in his bed using his cellphone, he must be going to sleep early. He had totally forgotten about the talk they had before, but now that he remembers, there was no one to be afraid of in this cabin. He went to his wardrobe and put out his sleeping wear. Soobin saw Yeonjun go to his bed and get under his covers, maybe he was going to sleep early too. He changed his clothes and closed the wardrobe once again with the key. Soobin made his way to the living room but turned around and went to talk to Yeonjun.

“Hi, sorry to interrupt you. I just wanted to introduce myself; I’m Soobin, Choi Soobin. Hope we can get along” He said to him

“I’m Choi Yeonjun” Yeonjun said without looking at him

“You must be tired, sorry for disturbing you. We’ll keep it down, I promise” Soobin said to him. Yeonjun only nodded back. Soobin left the room and returned to the living room with the others.

“Soobin! Come meet our roommates!” Seojun said loudly

“Shh, there are people trying to sleep” Soobin said to Seojun

“Really? I’m sorry ... Anyways present yourself”

“Oh right. Hi I’m Choi Soobin, nice to meet you” There were the two guys from before and one other guy he has never seen before. They introduced themselves as well, and Soobin joined their conversation. “Is someone in the bathroom? There were only two other people in the bedroom”

“No the other guy couldn’t come apparently”

They stayed in the living room until the lights went out. He took some time to write a message to his family to tell them he was all right and that he will call them tomorrow since he is tired today. They answered back thanking him for the message and once again hoped for him to have a good time. When the lights went out the only things that remained on were the internet and the plugs from the bedrooms. They were only used to charge the cellphones or other small electronics. They went to bed since everyone was tired and called it a day. The first day of the camp trip was finally over.

* * *

Yeonjun couldn’t take it anymore; this headache was going to kill him. He hasn’t even opened his eyes and he already feels a tremendous pain in his head. He couldn’t move, he didn’t want to see the light, and even less wanted to hear something. In a couple of minutes, the alarm inside the cabin was going to ring and he didn’t want to know how much it would hurt when it went off. The alarm rang at seven every day, at eight breakfast was served and they gave them until eleven to get ready for the day. He doesn’t know if he will be able to get out of bed. This wasn’t because he didn’t want to go out or anything like that; it was because his head hurt so much he wants someone to knock him out so he can’t feel it anymore. Then the freaking alarm started its routine of torture, damn, it hurts.

“Someone turn that off! It hurts so much!” He heard someone scream in the room

“It will stop in a minute, just give it time” Someone else mumbled

Yeonjun was using all of his force to push his pillow into his ears. It wasn’t as successful as he would have wanted but it did something. Suddenly, he heard someone storm out of the cabin. What was wrong with them? It’s not as if they had the headache he was having right now.

“Hmm? Soobin … you ok?” He heard the same person from before say as he left the room

Was the new guy having a bad morning because of the alarm? He seemed to be having such a good time yesterday, walking by the moon and everything. Yeonjun’s head was about to explode. If that alarm doesn’t turn of in five seconds he is sure he will throw the whole megaphone through the window, lucky for the megaphone that wasn’t the case.

“Ugh, my head … it hurts so much” Yeonjun heard Soobin say very low since he was out of the cabin”

“It’s ok we can ask for medicine or something like that to the counselors when we go to have breakfast. Just hold on, and wait until eight”

So that guy was suffering from the same headache he was suffering from … Did they catch a cold when they stayed out last night? That must be the case. If only he hadn’t followed them, he wouldn’t be in this situation. If he hadn’t followed them, Misoo and Soobin would have …

“Hey, people wake up. In an hour, we are going to have breakfast. If you want to refresh yourself before going, you better move. If not … just keep sleeping” Yeonjun heard another person say. For god’s sake just shut up, he can’t take this pain anymore.

As people woke up they started talking with each other, even if they weren’t friends or anything like that they managed to make conversation out of any topic at all. So Yeonjun did what the new guy did too, storm out of there to escape the noise. When he got out the sun was blinding but there was no more noise. He preferred the light to the sound his roommates made; at least he could shield his eyes from the sun better than his ears from the noise. Were they sick from staying out last night? He hasn’t felt anything like this before.

“Is your head about to explode too?” He heard Soobin say

“I think … yeah” He answered back

“It hurts so much it’s ridiculous”

Yeonjun kept quiet after this, if he kept talking it would hurt hearing his voice and talk to him. So it was the best if they didn’t talk anymore. Yeonjun doesn’t know if the pain started to lessen up or if his body was shutting of from the pain, whichever it was didn’t matter.

“Mmm Yeonjun your head hurts too?” One voice said from behind him

He only nodded, it hurt to move his head but if he answered back, he is sure it would hurt more. So he stayed there siting with his head between his knees, that way the sun didn’t hit him directly in his eyes. Some time passed and he could stand better the noise that came from his surroundings so he stood up and returned inside. It still hurt but now he could tolerate the pain. He went to the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water; he also fixed his messy hair and shook his clothes a little. He looked more presentable, now he didn’t look as much of a mess. He put on some shoes and went to the main cabin. This time he won’t look for Beomgyu, his head wouldn’t take it. It was still early but he went there to wait for breakfast to be ready. It was normal for them to stay in their pajamas when they had breakfast, only the most vain students changed clothes. Yeonjun for sure wasn’t one of them.

When it was time for breakfast he went into the dining room and served himself the lightest food there was, he didn’t consider a greasy breakfast a good option this day. He didn’t care if Beomgyu arrived late or if by the time he came he wouldn’t be here, he just wanted to finish eating fast so he could return to the cabin to sleep some more. Yeonjun sat on the first table he saw and practically devoured his breakfast, he also drank lots of juice, he was feeling thirsty. What he didn’t notice was that other person was doing the exact same thing as him. Both guys were eating their food so vigorously they caught the attention of some students, something wrong was going on. Yeonjun had eaten enough and quickly returned to the cabin. He was going to ask for some medicine before he left but he wanted to sleep more than the medicine. He made his way to his cabin and ignored anyone who talked to him; he wouldn’t know if Beomgyu was one of them, he just kept walking.

When he arrived no one was there, peaceful at last. He went to his bed and hid under the covers so that nothing, not even the light that came through the windows could disturb him. He fell into a deep slumber, almost hibernating. He needed to rest a little more before the activities of the day started. He wished he didn’t have to be in them but he had to be at least present while other people did them. Yeonjun slept like never before, he didn’t notice when the other guy entered seconds after he did. He didn’t care if this was even his cabin or bed he just when to sleep.

* * *

After Soobin practically killed his breakfast for the second time, he returned to his cabin. He wasn’t sure if he was going the right way, he followed someone that was meters in front of him. Wherever he went, he was going after him. If that person went to the woods he will too, if that person jumped into the lake he will too, he was too tired to actually look for his cabin so it was easier to just follow what someone else did. The person entered a cabin and fell asleep so he did the same, he looked for his bed and fell asleep. He hoped no one disturbed his sleep or he would do something terrible to them, this headache didn’t let him think straight.

Soobin wakes up in his bed, not really knowing which day was. Has another day passed or is he still in the same day? He is feeling better than before, now he only felt lost in time. He checked the time in his phone; it was a couple of minutes after eleven. He checked if someone else was in the cabin, he only saw Yeonjun still asleep in the bed besides him. Maybe they caught a flu or something. They were the last ones to enter the day before according to Seojun. If they were sick there was a big probability that Misoo was sick too, he needed to go check if she was ok. He grabbed some clothes from his wardrobe and went to shower quickly. He was going to wake up Yeonjun, before he left but decided not to do it. He might need to rest more so he only left a note behind.

He was able to continue his day as if he never had a headache, weird. When he stepped out he made his way to Misoo’s cabin, but he noticed a big crowd standing by the open area so he went there. By the time he got there, people were separated in groups of six or eight; they must have did it with the members of the cabins.

“Hey! You over there, are you late?” One counselor said to him

“I’m sorry, I felt very sick so I took a nap and I got carried away. It won’t happen again”

“Are you one of the kids from cabin 9?”

“Yes”

“No worries, I am surprised you are standing here. When another counselor checked on you and your other roommate, she said you were burning from a fever. Are you sure you are feeling fine?”

“I’m sure don’t worry”

“We are taking it easy for today so I suppose it is ok if you stay. But if any other day you feel bad don’t forget to tell us”

“I won’t thank you”

“One last thing, did your roommate seem fine when you woke up or is he still in bad shape?”

“He was still asleep, I could go check on him very fast if you would like”

“If it isn’t a burden for you, I will thank you for it. When you come back don’t forget to tell me his condition”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back”

* * *

Yeonjun was feeling better; he didn’t have that demonic headache he had before he fell asleep. Unfortunately, it was still the same day and by this time, the activities started. In any second, a counselor was going to enter the door and force him out the bed. He scrubbed his eyes and made his way to the shower with some clothes. It was better to be ready before the counselor arrived while he still was in pajamas, that way he could say he was late and not that he overslept. Before he went to the living room, he saw a note in the door.

“Hi, it’s me Soobin. I woke up late and you were still sleeping. I thought it was better to let you rest so I did … Don’t worry, I will tell the counselors you are sick so you can stay in bed. Get well”

Yeonjun stayed there rereading the message his roommate left for him, he is a nice person after all. He can see why Tina, Hyewon and even Misoo are interested in him. Though the first two haven’t even met him properly. He took the chance to stay in bed more time; he was going to thank him later for the favor. As he was leaving his clothes once again in the wardrobe, he heard the main door open. Maybe Soobin’s strategy didn’t work, he must return to bed, at least that way it would make sense with the alibi Soobin gave to the counselors. He jumped to his bed trying to make the less noise as possible and adapted his sleeping persona. The person was now entering the room and making their way to Yeonjun, it was crucial that his acting skills were on point. He was expecting screams from the counselor that found him in bed but it never happened.

“I guess you are still asleep …” Yeonjun heard someone say “You haven’t seen the note I left I guess”

This was Soobin talking to him he acknowledged. It would be ok for him to stop pretending he was asleep, but for some reason he didn’t.

“I don’t know where you were last night, but we must have gotten sick for staying out late” He continued talking as if Yeonjun was also part of the conversation, this guy is weird. It was normal to talk alone, he admits it, he even does it. But talking to a sleeping person, not so much. Yeonjun didn’t expect Soobin to lay his hand in his forehead, he almost jerked at it.

“You don’t have fever anymore. You know, someone checked on us earlier and said we were burning from fever, I’m glad we are ok now. But just in case …” Yeonjun heard Soobin leave the room. He didn’t come back until a minute passed, then as he heard his steps getting closer he resumed his sleeping.

“Recently someone did this for me, I wasn’t sick at all but it made me feel good at the time. Hope it helps you in any way” He felt as a cold towel was put in his forehead, no one has done that for him. Every time he got sick he had to do this things for himself, it was nice for someone to do it for him. Just as Soobin, he wasn’t sick but it was true it made him feel better in some way.

“Hope you get better, today we are taking it easy according to the counselor. When you wake up maybe, you can come out. How lame, I’m here talking to an asleep person. What is wrong with me? I’ll just leave another note then” He heard Soobin write another note and make his way out the cabin. Before he left, he said goodbye to Yeonjun from afar and with that, he left.

The pathetic one wasn’t Soobin in this situation, it was him. How could he let this happen? Are they playing nurse and the patient? Why would he let someone take care of him, he has done it all of his life by his own and everything went as planned. Why was he so upset about it? He wasn’t angry with Soobin, was it with himself? It didn’t matter; he needed to leave this cabin. He felt so vulnerable and exposed; no one in his life has ever seen him that way apart from his mom and sister. Once again, he made his way to the shower with his clothes, but noticed the second note Soobin left before he left.

“Hi, it’s me again. I checked on you earlier and you seemed fine, sorry if I wet your bed with the towel. We are not doing anything tiring today so you can come out and meet with us. Hope you can make it”

What was with this guy? Can he leave him alone just as the other people did? He didn’t like the amount of attention he was getting from him. He knew it was better to cut ties with him from the beginning, if only he didn’t follow them yesterday maybe he wouldn’t be sick today and wouldn’t be in this situation. Even though he strongly believes this, he still can’t regret stopping that kiss between Soobin and Misoo. Why was that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I can’t believe so many people are reading this, I know it isn’t that big of a number but I didn’t expect this. Thank you so much for the support and I hope you are enjoying the story! See you next chapter!


	10. Peace of Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I recently created a Twitter account so we can interact with each other, my username is @kenthedoggo so make sure to follow me! Let's be friends! <3

Soobin made his way to where he had last seen the crowd of people. He felt slightly embarrassed of what he did. He didn’t even know the guy and he took care of him, he even left notes for him, the only thing that missed was that he did soup and fed it to him. What he did was such a mom-move, he hopes Yeonjun doesn’t think too much of it or it will embarrass him if one day he brings that out. If they even speak again in the first place, Soobin can feel that they will; he just knows. He was getting closer to where the others were, but before he did that, he approached the counselor he talked to earlier.

“Hi, I’m back from my cabin” He said to him

“Oh! Great so … how is your roommate?”

“He seems ok. He no longer has a fever but he was still asleep. I left a note behind so that when he wakes up he knows what is going on”

“Then everything is fine. You can go with your group, don’t forget, if you feel unwell you can speak to any of us”

“Don’t worry, then goodbye”

He went to his group right after the conversation with the counselor ended. He could see Seojun’s hand waving at him a couple of feet away. Soobin is happy that he had someone that knew who he was in his cabin but most importantly, that made conversation in the group. If it wasn’t for Seojun the chat he had with his roommates would have never happened, he was a natural outgoing person just like Kai.

“Hey Soobin, are you ok? Last time I saw you, you were drenched in sweat and trembling. I got worried for a second” Seojun said to him

“I’m ok now, don’t worry about me” He said back

“I almost regretted letting you go with Misoo last night, but now that there is nothing to worry about I’m glad I did” Apparently, his roommates didn’t know about this, they had a baffled expression.

“You were with Misoo last night? That was the reason you entered the cabin that late? I thought you had gotten lost or something different” One of them said

“Ehh well, yeah, I was out with her. But nothing at all happened before you start talking and gossiping, it really didn’t”

“You seem very cautious for someone who did nothing …” Seojun teased

“I’m serious, please don’t make rumors about it” Soobin pleaded

“As if there weren’t rumors going around as we speak, just give up everyone knows” Seojun said to him “Anyways, did you check Yeonjun? He was as bad as you; maybe you got sick from the same thing”

“He was still sleeping but he seemed fine. I guess he just needs to rest some more. But, what are we doing exactly?”

“A bunch of nothing” other guy said “We are getting to know each other for the fifth time I our lifetimes. The first day is always like this”

“Oh I see”

They continued chatting about useless topics, just as their favorite color or favorite animal, things like that. He wouldn’t say he was having a bad time but he must admit it wasn’t what he expected for the activity for today. They reassured him that after lunch they will have the day for themselves and that the second day is always the most boring so there was still other things to look for in the other days. Soobin asked them if they were staying the whole month, but only Seojun and he will. There was still a chance Yeonjun will stay; he may ask him later, there were plenty of days ahead.

After some time, they merged the cabins of the boys with the girls of the same number, this way they could meet with other people. The girls from Cabin 9 were friendly towards them; with the help of Seojun, their conversation didn’t die or become awkward. It went better than he had expected, maybe he did way too much drama about meeting new people. He recognized there was a difference in how this people spoke to what his friends from the other school did, it was almost as boasting but not really it was more of a confidence aspect. He still had to get used to this type of people but he is sure he will so he doesn’t get anxious about it.

* * *

After reading the note Soobin left for him, he thought it was better to stay in the cabin for some more time. If he went out that quick, it may seem he woke up after he left or in between his care taking session. Therefore, Yeonjun glared at the roof for what appeared to be hours, still with the wet towel in his forehead. He didn’t want to get out of the cabin, but soon he will have to because lunchtime starts in a couple of minutes. He must be making the counselors worry because he hasn’t appeared in all day. Now that he thinks about it, he wonders if Beomgyu knows why he hasn’t appeared, or if he noticed that he wasn’t there. There was a fifty percent chance that Beomgyu hadn’t known of his disappearance; if only he had fan girls that worried about him … He is oblivious that he has, it’s just that after years of rejection they had stepped away a little from him, but they were still lurking around.

After minutes of considering, he decided to go take a shower and go to eat lunch. He was getting hungry and needed to get some fresh air after spending most of his morning inside the cabin. He left the towel hanging from his wardrobe and took the notes that Soobin left for him and hid them in his wardrobe. It was a bad idea to leave them in the trash where anyone could read them if they wanted, so he considered it safer with his belongings.

He stepped out of the cabin as if he never got sick in the first place and went to the main cabin and waited for lunch to be ready. The dining room was open but no one had arrived yet, so he went in and chose a random table. Yeonjun didn’t think this was how he was going to spend his days in this camp trip, yesterday was such a good day; at least for the first part of it, then everything went downhill. It was funny that he got excited about ridiculous things as gossip and Soobin’s fan girls, it was entertaining for a moment but now he didn’t want to hear a thing of it. He thinks is better to return to his past self, the one that is completely uninterested in everyone else’s business, he hopes he can do it.

Lunch was normal as any other meal he has had with his friends. Everyone talked of sports or videogames and other “boy things” to put it that way. It didn’t shock Yeonjun to know that none of them knew that he wasn’t in the activity from earlier; maybe it was because they were in groups from each cabin, that must be it right? Beomgyu only knew of Yeonjun because of this morning, according to him he ate his breakfast like a starving dog. It even surprised him to see him eat hours later, the amount of food he ate could have let him live for months so to speak. Yeonjun thought he had eaten light this morning, that must not have been the case. Beomgyu told him that he and the new guy cleared the buffet and left some people with little to eat. It was like an eating competition between titans. This sickness they got must have been serious, for Beomgyu to speak that way of someone really meant that something was wrong with them.

“Was anyone else acting strange like we did?” Yeonjun asked Beomgyu

“If what you mean is devouring the whole restaurant down … Then no” He answered

* * *

When Soobin and his friends got to the dining room everyone was already seated and with food in their place. Strangely right after the counselors told them lunch was ready everyone ran straight to the dining room, they must have really been hungry. He also noticed that when he entered some of them were looking at him with much attention, Soobin thought the stares would end after the first day, he was wrong, maybe it was because of the rumors that were spreading.

“Hey mister bestiality, hungry?” He heard Kai say to him from his table

“Mister … what?” Soobin asked back

“Bestiality, that’s a nickname we chose for you after breakfast” Seojun explained

“Why would you say that?”

“Don’t you remember what you ate?” Kai said

“Nothing out of the ordinary, I think …”

“I mean, if that’s how you eat. I guess it’s normal for you or a wolf”

“What are you talking about?”

“Friend, you ate almost the whole place down. You and Yeonjun almost left us without breakfast. The worst part was that you two were the first ones here and the first ones to finish. By the time people came there was almost no food or juice at all” Kai said in between laughs. Everyone was laughing by this point; he could have sworn he didn’t eat that much “When I tell you, you went in, you really went in”

“Damn, I’m sorry. I see why everyone is looking at me weirdly. Should I apologize to everyone? Maybe I shouldn’t eat this lunch …”

For those around him it was hysterical, they had to stop eating for them not to choke on their food. They kept making fun of him and making jokes of his former “bestiality”, maybe he also had to apologize to his family for eating that much. How many money were they wasting for feeding him? He was getting insecure of his eating habits by the time he left the dining room.

After they finished eating, they decided to keep it chill. From the very start, this wasn’t a tiring day so they wanted to keep it that way so they went to the lake. They didn’t get in but pulled together enough lounging chairs for them to relax and basically do nothing. On their way there, Seojun brought his speaker for them to play music. Soobin and his new friends just laid in the chairs taking naps and talking every now and then. While others played soccer, went swimming, stayed in their cabins or went for walks with other people they did this. In his opinion, it was the best they could have done.

“I’m glad you are fine Soobin. In fact I see you are better than other people say” He heard a voice, he knew who it was

“Misoo? Hi, how are you doing?” He said to her. She placed her index finger in her lips so he doesn’t speak that loud since the others were sleeping

“I’m doing fine. I wanted to check on you since everyone told me you were sick, they even told me you were turning into a zombie and ate all the food there was this morning. Was that really you?”

“Hehe, apparently that was me, but without the whole zombie thing”

“Do you also have a fever? One counselor told us there were two students extremely sick this morning but if I’m not mistaken I saw you there with the others”

“Yeah that was me and Yeonjun, we must have caught something last night. Are you doing ok?”

“Yeonjun … really? Interesting … Umm yes, I’m feeling just fine, don’t worry”

“That’s good”

The conversation turned dead silent after this, he could even hear the other students talking way afar from them. He had forgotten to check on Misoo since the whole sickness happened, but he is glad she is ok and only he got it.

“You know, that trick you showed me … The one with the wet towel”

“Yeah what about it?” He couldn’t get enough of her voice it was enticing

“It seems to work just fine. I used it on Yeo- … someone earlier and it made them feel ok. Your mother knows how to treat fevers”

“You are giving her way too much credit. I am sure everyone knows that tactic, I’m surprised you didn’t know it”

“My family usually puts me in a tub with ice and hopes for the best. That’s one of the reasons I try not to get sick” He made her laugh once again, his pathetic existence and daily struggles made her laugh. He wasn’t that mad that his family used extremist medicinal remedies all of a sudden

“You are so … interesting. I hope to meet your parents one day. You said to me yesterday that I could so you can’t take it back”

“I won’t I promise”

“Fine, you better keep it. It seems it’s getting a little dark. Dinner will be done in a couple of minutes. After dinner you should stay in your cabin, I want to eat breakfast tomorrow. So don’t get sick”

“I’ll try”

“Well then see you later”

“See you”

Every conversation with Misoo was easy to have. It’s not that he has talked to her that many times but everything goes smoothly when he was with her. He looked at the lake for the couple of minutes that he had before he had to go to eat once again. It’s very weird to go to eat that constantly he thought. If he hadn’t fell asleep he would be hungry right now, but for him lunch was over just minutes ago. He thinks he will eat something light this time, but for real, he wasn’t going to make a fool out of him again.

* * *

Yeonjun was physically tired of hearing these stupid guys all day. If it wasn’t because of Beomgyu’s stubbornness, he would have spent his day resting under a tree like he loves to do. But no, he convinced him to follow him around and actually do things like playing soccer or participate in the conversations he and his other friends were having, such a waste of a great day. Yeonjun would have preferred to starve all day inside his cabin than to eat and be with them. Why was Beomgyu friends with such lousy people? He couldn’t take it anymore so for dinner he seated with someone else, it broke in some way Beomgyu’s heart but he didn’t want to say a word to him right now. So he went and sat with the fan girls, don’t get him wrong, he was not going to spy on their conversations or anything like that. He was going to sit there and finish his meal with peace. Was that too much to ask for?

“Y-Yeonjun, why are you sitting with us? Beomgyu is right there” Hyewon said to him

“Don’t mind me and keep eating” Yeonjun answered coldly

“Ok …” Hyewon said. But everything went silent in the table, no one dared to say anything. Did this people think he was that intimidating? Good, he has wanted this all his life. Anything to stop them from talk to him, really. However, it didn’t mean they had to stop talking with each other and make the situation awkward.

“Go ahead and talk, don’t make this weirder than it already is” He said to them. It took a couple of seconds for them to start the small chat before they continued with their normal gossip. Thank god, it wasn’t about Soobin and his love adventures. Instead, it was gossip of people he didn’t know about and has never talked to. He didn’t care so he filtered this conversation to almost nothing. Then the topic he hated so much came out, he had almost finished his dinner.

“Does your contact know what they did yesterday? We couldn’t find them anywhere at all” Hyewon said to Tina

“You know … my contact has a life on her own. She also has other people to spy on”

“Why would she spy on other people when they were out late doing god knows what out there … She isn’t professional enough”

“I guess we will just believe the rumors until further a notice” Rumors? What rumors?

“I can’t believe them! He is so pure, he would never do that!”

“Let’s just give up; it’s not new for us. Some other people here have done it too. Don’t know how many but they have” After this, Yeonjun choked on his food and coughed multiple times

“Yeonjun are you ok? You might need to eat more slowly, you know after the whole breakfast thing …” Tina said

“…” Yeonjun glared at her with a comical look he didn’t mean. Why were people doing the breakfast incident that big of a deal? It happened one time!

“Now that I think about it … Yeonjun might have done it as well last night. People say you become very hungry the day after you do it” Hyewon whispered loudly to Tina’s ear. How can she be so bold in front of him? Didn’t she see him sitting right there?

“Stop, you are out of your minds” He said to them

“What do you mean? Were you eavesdropping in our conversation? Did you hear the whole thing?” Hyewon asked him

“I don’t need to hear the whole thing to know what kind of perverted thoughts you are having!”

“So you were … Do you also enjoy gossip?”

“You are getting way ahead of yourself, and before you spread some more rumors nothing happened yesterday” Yeonjun left the table and went to his cabin

“Do you think he is talking about himself or Soobin?” Tina asked Hyewon

“I don’t know, but if it was about Soobin how would he know?” Hyewon said to her friend

* * *

After eating Soobin took a longer route to the cabin, he promised his parents he was going to call them. He marked their phone number and waited for them to answer. He was missing them this early on the trip already.

“Hello? Mom? Is that you?”

“HI Soobin! I’m glad you remembered. I was afraid I was going to have to call Kai or someone else”

“Mom … please, never do that. It’s so embarrassing. I will make sure to always remember just wait until I do so”

“Ok, son. Are you having a good time? Is the lake pretty?”

“Yes mom I’m doing great, and yes the lake is pretty. I hope one day you we can come, all of us”

“Well I hope so too. Tell me, do you have new friends? Is everyone nice?”

“Yes, there are more friends than I thought I would do, they are very nice people too”

“See I told you. Everyone loves my Soobin”

“I guess you were right”

“That’s great Soobin, I’m so happy for you. Do you want to talk to your father? He is asleep but I can wake him up”

“No, just let him rest I can call tomorrow too don’t worry. Just tell him I’m fine; also tell that to grandpa and grandma”

“I will, don’t worry. It’s getting late son, you should go to bed. Also use some good blankets it’s getting cold”

“Ok mom I will”

“Take care, we love you”

“You too take care, love you too”

It was nice to talk to his mom, he missed her voice and that way he could know everyone was fine at home. This night was a similar as the one before, there were two people already in bed and the others talked in the living room or stayed in their phones until lights went out. He and Seojun were the ones who talked the most in the cabin, everyone else from time to time joined in the conversation but never stayed for more than a couple of seconds. It must be true they were not that interested in building friendships. Soobin went to bed before the light went out in fear of getting sick again, he was not going to have that headache again if he could prevent it. He got in his comfortable pajamas and called it a day, even if this day was short and spent most of it sleeping he still felt tired for some reason. For this reason, he fell asleep almost instantly and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

It was morning, a really good morning because Yeonjun woke up without that infernal headache. The alarm went off and this time he didn’t want to die, just as it was before he got sick. He is curious to know if Soobin is fully recovered as he is, he looked fine when he woke up so there is nothing wrong with him too. Their other roommates left before them for breakfast because of the bestiality thing that happened to them but he was getting tired of it. It was a one-time thing, get over it. Sometimes it made Yeonjun want to eat the whole buffet once again so that they can suffer just a little bit, but that would prove them right so he prefers not to do that. Soobin got out before Yeonjun leaving him alone inside the cabin, it hurt a little, something inside him wished he‘d waited for him. He didn’t want them to talk or anything just make each other company. Yeonjun finished getting ready and stepped out of the cabin, what he saw caught him off guard.

“Hey … mind if we go together? I wanted to give you some space inside so that I didn’t seem like a creep watching you get ready” Soobin said to him

“Fine …” He said back to him

“You look healthy, I’m glad. It was just a one day flu apparently”

“Hmm” He said back

“Maybe for some time we will have to be like this, you know, going to have breakfast after the others. I hope they drop it fast, I’m starving”

“I suppose …”

“I may be making this conversation awkward, I’m sorry. I’m not good at starting conversations; other people do it for me”

“It’s fine” Did he give permission to him to continue talking to him? This wasn’t part of the plan

“I hope there are waffles or something like that today; I miss my grandma’s cooking. She always made them for me”

Yeonjun only nodded to anything he said, it was a one-way conversation though that didn’t mean he wasn’t listening to what Soobin said. In fact, he was paying more attention to what he said than to any other stupid thing Beomgyu said to him, which were a lot if we are being honest. He still maintained his guard up, he didn’t want anyone to get to know him for real. He didn’t want to give any person the opportunity, maybe in a future when he isn’t in such a dark place and everything that happened seems like a joke to him; maybe then … Soobin talked and talked of what his family would be doing by this hour. It consisted of a regular family schedule, wake up, breakfast, chat, get ready for work, other things like that. His parents also do the same things but for some reason it sounds completely different from the way he tells it to him. They were arriving to the main cabin; he hasn’t said anything the whole walk. But he did have something to say, it was the perfect moment to do it.

“Hey … don’t know if you know but Misoo is a big deal here, many guys are after her. What I’m going with this is … you may gain enemies because you are close to her. Watch out for the people I sit with, they aren’t good people. I’m not threatening you, I’m just warning you. You are free to do whatever you want, just keep it in mind before you do anything related to her. Got it?” He said to Soobin

Maybe he was excessively straightforward with it but at least he told him before something happened. Now his mind could be free of guilt, from then on he had no place in this situation. When he saw Soobin nod, he said his goodbyes and went in the main building, Soobin entered seconds after he did. It would be perceived badly if someone saw Yeonjun talking to him, especially if the pig was the one who saw them. Yeonjun sat on his table and began eating breakfast, he had done the good thing and he was feeling free. It was a good morning indeed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! Happy New Year! I’m posting this before the 31st so you can have something to read. I don’t really know how many people kept reading this story but for whomever that is reading this right now, thank you so much for reading my work and for the support. I really appreciate it and I hope you have the best 2021 possible. See you next year! <3


	11. Not that bad

That day was very uneventful; ever since Yeonjun dropped that warning to him, his day has become a blur. He paid little attention to what others said and at the same time paid, a lot of attention of what he did. Soobin didn’t want to get in a mess just because he was getting to know Misoo. Who would be so arrogant and evil to get so mad of him talking to her? He remembers Yeonjun told him that he needs to be aware of the guys he sat with, but every time he glances to where he is sitting he can only see Tina and Hyewon sitting with him.

He had seen his friends before but at this moment, his mind is so busy that he can’t think straight. He can hear Kai, Seojun and the others talking around him but he can’t fully understand what they are saying, he only kept looking in Yeonjun’s way to seek an answer to this whole mess.

“Soobin, are you done eating? We are heading back to get ready but you can finish and go later if you need” He hear Seojun say to him

“Yeah, yeah” Soobin said without thinking of his answer

“Ok, I’ll see you at the cabin then”

Soobin has stared at Yeonjun’s table with so much focus that he has barely touched his breakfast. Soobin needs to talk to him, just one last time. He could see from before that he didn’t like to talk to “strangers” to put it that way, he respected that, so he didn’t want to annoy him and get on his bad side. Soobin stood up, took his breakfast, and went to Yeonjun’s table. This one was considerably smaller than the one he sat on, he hopes he doesn’t over-crowd it.

* * *

“Hi, can I sit here? … My friends left me and I don’t have anyone to sit with …” Yeonjun heard, he could distinguish his voice. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was so he just kept eating.

“H- …” Neither Tina or Hyewon were answering back they must be petrified that their prince in shining armor is talking to them once again.

“Uhh I’m sorry maybe this table was too full, don’t worry … I’ll look somewhere else” He waited for two seconds to see if the fan girls told him it was ok to sit with them but they didn’t. Yeonjun looked up and they had such a stupid expression on their face, in small words, delusional. Soobin was turning around to look for somewhere else, but something made Yeonjun act quickly, just as two nights before.

“Hey, you can sit here. I was done eating, you can take my place” Yeonjun said to him

“B- But …” Soobin stuttered

“Just sit … Are you two done or is he going to have to look somewhere else?” He started talking loudly to Tina and Hyewon for no apparent reason

“No! Of course not … I am actually … so hungry that I am going for doubles. We didn’t dinner that well last night, right Tina?” Hyewon said to Tina with an incredulous tone

“Y- Yes! This breakfast is so delicious I am going for doubles two”

“I guess if it’s ok … thank you” Soobin said to them a little disheartened. It didn’t matter he took this as queue to leave so he did.

It felt good to give his seat to him; this must be how people feel when they give their seat to a pregnant woman or old person in the bus. He never had that opportunity to do that before since he never used the bus or was in a situation he could do that. It feels nice, charity, he thought to himself.

* * *

Soobin made his way to his cabin after finishing his meal; this was totally a weird day. After he sat on Yeonjun’s place, the conversation with the other girls started slow and from one moment to another it escalated very quickly. They asked him his birthday, favorite color, zodiac sign, what color he perceived his aura, his favorite number … It was more of an interview that an actual conversation, he barely finished answering their current question before they asked him another one. It surely got weirder when they started asking him what was his type and other personal things he didn’t have an answer too. He hadn’t even given his first kiss, how could he know for sure what his type was and further of most what he looked in a relationship. He didn’t want to answer those type of questions so he asked them the same questions they asked him before. They started talking about constellations, what every color meant, the planet alignment of their time of birth … it was like a local horoscope in front of him. He didn’t perceived them as that type of people from what he glanced of them earlier, but he was extremely wrong. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in those things, sometimes he did but they were taking them to a religious level. He had never seen someone so into stars, planets, auras and those things before. He wonders if they do palm readings, maybe one day he could come to them; but not today.

When he arrived almost everyone was ready, he had around fifteen minutes to get ready, not a problem for him. In his house almost every shower he had was timed so that he didn’t spend so much water. His family recruited to that solution since he was a kid so now he was used to taking “lightning showers”. Every time he had to take out his clothes he had to make sure he put the lock on, it was getting tedious and only a couple of days have passed.

He was able to go with everyone else to the soccer field thanks to the habits he got from home. It was not a sunny day but it wasn’t cloudy, it was just a normal day, nothing special about it. He had missed the chance to speak with Yeonjun earlier and now he didn’t want to talk to him at all. He had made a fool of himself in front of him, Yeonjun didn’t finish his breakfast just because he needed somewhere to sit; amazing Choi Soobin, he repeated to himself. He was sure Yeonjun would feel awkward if he tried once again, so he will need to go to Kai or Seojun for advice.

The activity they were having was the worst of the worst according to Kai. It was almost like military training. It consisted of a race that lasted two hours, it was a relay race so it wasn’t that bad, but it was. The group that had the most rounds around the field won. However, we all know that the true winner is the one group that survives after this. It was once again separated into cabins; their cabin didn’t seem as the most athletic one. Apart from Seojun, Yeonjun, one other guy and Soobin, the others didn’t seem as the active type. Soobin wasn’t that athletic as it seemed but the dancing and some exercise that his mother forced him to do made him confident enough on his stamina. He didn’t want to win that bad since he would end up all sweaty and stinky right after he took a shower but the price for the winners was to be free of the next activity. He along the others had to do the best they could, one day of suffering for the price of one day of relaxation, worth it.

He had a clearer mind when the race started. He was the second one to go after Seojun finished the first lap. He saw the other groups take it easy so he was going to do the same, after all, it was an endurance test. The counselors where in charge of counting the points for every group that passed through the finish line, they just had to announce the number of cabin they belonged to. He was doing well, he just had to run a lap after another when his turn came. Soobin was confident that he was doing well, he just hopes his group is also ok. In one point, everyone lost track of who was winning and how many points they had so it was every group giving their all. Sometimes when he ran he could see Misoo looking in his way when he passed close to where the girls where standing. It made him flush a little but it made him feel good about it.

The girls were also running but his turn and hers never aligned so they casually took turns looking after the other. Soobin made sure not to look in her direction many times since those other guys may notice, he was still cautious of this.

More than an hour passed rather quickly, it wasn’t as bad as he had thought. If only his other three teammates weren’t panting, he could boast of himself. By this time, they three carried their whole team. They told the others they could take it easy and that they would run at their best capacity, at this time everyone wanted to win so everybody ended up panting like dogs on a hot day.

“Five minutes! If you don’t get to the finish line before the time passes it doesn’t count!” One counselor screamed through their megaphone

Soobin was halfway through his lap when he heard this; he needed to hurry up if he wanted Yeonjun to finish of his lap; so he gave his all. He sped through other runners that were more tired than he was. Soobin was faster than wind in his head; he had never run as fast as he is right now. Then he passed his turn to Yeonjun, it was all up to him.

“Damn, are you seeing this. Choi Yeonjun running? Like this? This would be a dream instead of a nightmare if I wasn’t going to die” Seojun said to Soobin, they both were out of breath

“What do you mean? He seems like he does sports”

“Well at least not in public, this is the first time I don’t see him slouching around”

“He seems to love slouching around, maybe that’s the reason he is doing this in the first place”

“Don’t think so, he would slouch around tomorrow if we don’t win anyways”

“It doesn’t matter, let’s just hope we win”

* * *

Yeonjun was actually giving his all; it has been so long since he had done that in anything he did. Time was running out and he needed to get to the finish line or this would have been for nothing. This time he was feeling pressure not because somebody else wanted something for him, but because he wanted it for himself; it wasn’t because he wanted to sleep and take it easy the next day but because he wanted to prove to himself that he could do it. Maybe watching the person before him run with all he had inspired him to do so as well, maybe the smile he saw before he started running did something to him.

“Yeonjun! You can do it! You are almost there! Woo!” He heard someone scream his name, it was him

A long time has passed since someone cheered for him. Ever since he isolated himself from everyone except from Beomgyu, his other classmates didn’t really interact with him, it was what he wanted so there is no reason to feel remorse of it, but he has to admit, it feels good when you have supporting you. He kept listening to his cheers while he run to the finish line; it wasn’t difficult because no one else was doing so, just him. He was seconds away of the finish line but so was the end. 3 … 2 … 1 … End!

He arrived on time

Yeonjun hadn’t experienced such a cheer in his life. Past years he was never the ending person so while the others cheered he only sat on the floor of some rest. Now he was being cheered by his teammates, it was nice. He couldn’t help a little grin in his face, he was still trying to be as secluded to others but it was so good, he enjoyed it. Now they just needed the results to be announced.

* * *

Soobin was bumped out when the results weren’t announced. Apparently its tradition to announce them by dinner. Who does that? Now he will be anxious of the results and the rest of the day he will keep panicking around.

“Are they serious? They will announce them by dinner?” Soobin asked to Seojun

“Don’t worry time goes fast”

“I wouldn’t bet on that”

“Believe me especially today”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because we my friend are going to sleep all the way to dinner. As it is tradition for them to be announced by dinner, it is tradition for us to sleep all day after this. Just look around you, do you think anyone is going to do something right now?”

“I guess not, but it would be nice to know them right after. Also what about lunch?”

“Those who wake up are free to go eat lunch but if you prefer to sleep you can stay in. Just so you know, none of us go eat lunch ever, so if you want to go eat don’t even try waking us up”

“Damn, alright sleeping beauty”

“What’s important right now is … Who will get the showers first when we get to the cabin. We stink … so this is a goodbye Soobin. See you at the cabin”

Soobin saw as Seojun raced some of the others to their cabin, he didn’t feel as running for a shower. He was feeling great outside with the wind that blew through his face, he with no doubt will give his turn to someone who wants it that bad, so he will walk slowly to the cabin because after all this was a good day. A weird one but also good.

* * *

Yeonjun woke up to the loud noise of the alarm, that same one that went of every morning. It wasn’t the next day; he forgot they activate this one for dinner so those who didn’t eat lunch wouldn’t be starving when they woke up later. Also for health reasons and something in their contract service of providing necessary meals and other stuff. He didn’t change his clothes and made his way to the main cabin, he did it with his eyes closed as many of other people did so too. Dinner was fine? He couldn’t really tell, his taste buds were still asleep. Everything tasted the same; he only ate because he needed too, not because he wanted something tasty to eat. Maybe another day, but now he just wants his bed with all of his heart.

“People listen up! We have the results! First the ladies … The winner is Cabin number … 8! Congratulations!”

“Ugh, Tina if it wasn’t for you we could have won!” Yeonjun heard Hyewon say beside him

“Yeah, for me and you! Who was the one running like in a shampoo commercial just to attract some attention? You! So pathetic have some dignity”

“You are just jealous because I looked amazing”

“Maybe I could be jealous if Soobin looked at you but he didn’t, you are such a clown”

Yeonjun had to admit; even if they weren’t gossiping around, they were very funny. It wasn’t a bad choice to stay close to them after all.

“For the men. The winner is …!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is a way shorter chapter than the others, I just wanted to publish this little part to make three announcements. First, just wanted to say that the relationship Yeonjun and Soobin will shortly have is not really of enemies, more like people with strong opinions that don’t match with each other in some cases. It may be a little misleading in the tags so if you don’t agree with the tag I will gladly change it, but let me write it first so we can see how to go about it. Second, it may appear that Soobin or Yeonjun are straight, please don’t think that this is my intention of straight guys fall for each other. What I am trying to express is two boys who are clearly unexperienced and have never been in a relationship trying to figure out what they are attracted to. If the plot of “straight guys” is of your liking you can keep thinking that way without problem, I just wanted to make this clear since this is triggering for some people. Third, some parts of this trip are going to be short and won’t tell the whole process of the day, so some future chapters will contain about two or three days depending if I have many things to say about them. That would be it, thank you so much for reading! Hope you are enjoying and don’t worry I will keep writing this fic, I just took some days of. Thank you so much, see you!


	12. Stupid

It felt nice, it really did. It was almost eleven and their tent didn’t have to rush to the soccer field to the activity that was planned for today. Yes, they won. If it wasn’t because of Yeonjun’s turbo tactic, they would be tied with another team and none of the cabins would have been free of today’s activity. At dinner, they decided to sit as a group, just for one day at least. It was Seojun’s idea, apart from him, no one else seemed to like the idea but they accepted. Soobin was happy that they won; he really wanted to relax after running so much. In the end, every effort he put into the race meant for something.

Seojun was once again the center of attention and the one that led the conversation, if it wasn’t for him they would not be talking; Soobin appreciates that someone like him is in their cabin. He could see that Yeonjun was focused in his own thoughts and didn’t bother to join in the conversation. It’s fine for him, he is glad that he sat with them for one day. Deep inside, he just hoped he would want to be friends with him, maybe one day.

By breakfast everything returned to normal, each person returned to their past tables. Seojun and he sat together along with Taehyun, Kai and his friends. He realizes that he hasn’t talked to Taehyun at all since … ever. He has been so concerned with other stuff that he has barely talked to anyone else really.

“Why are you looking at me? Do I look that bad?” Taehyun asked Soobin. Apparently, he has been staring at him all this time

“Not at all, maybe just a little” He said back

“This is what the clowns from my cabin do to me. They don’t let me sleep at all. They aren’t able to stop screaming or fighting; and when they go to sleep that’s when the worst part comes. They snore like elephants choking on a piece of peanut I can’t believe it”

“You got in one of the worst cabins, last year I was with Beomgyu and the same happened to me. I almost died” Kai joined the conversation

“Did he have two more friends in the cabin or just him?”

“Only him, I can’t picture how you are holding up honestly. That is a worst punishment than trying to sleep in another cabin, maybe consider it some day”

“What is the punishment? No one ever told me” Soobin said

“They make you spend the whole day as a part of the crew in here. You will cook, clean, throw out the trash, everything they do from eleven to dinner. Many have tried to avoid being caught but some other way they still know who isn’t in their bed. It’s very creepy if you think about it” Kai told them

“Is that really it? For that you did so much drama. For one night of good sleep I will gladly take it” Taehyun said mockingly

“Then find a cabin that is willing to take you. You aren’t coming to mine”

“Is the punishment also for the ones in the cabin?”

“Yeah, if it wasn’t because of that you could sleep with us. But I won’t do chores my friend”

“What do you say? Can I sleep on your cabin? I heard you have an empty bed”

“No! You aren’t going to our cabin!” He heard Seojun shriek from the other side of the table

“Damn, why so serious? I was just asking”

“I am never going to live through it again. That was probably the worst experience of my whole life”

“Have you changed cabins before?” Soobin asked him

“While I was asleep some stupid guy entered my cabin and decided to sleep with us because his friends were in the cabin. I hate that guy; my hands stunk for a whole week after that.”

“He is no longer here with us drop it” Kai said to Seojun

“Did he die?” Soobin asked. The table started laughing at him.

“No, no, he just moved to another country” Kai replied

“Maybe that is a good technic I may do that …” Taehyun said in a low voice

“Don’t or I will kill you”

“You have the whole day free, maybe just a little work to make it fair for the others” Taehyun said to Seojun

“I didn’t run for my life so that you can ruin it because you wanted a good night of sleep”

“Whatever”

Soobin stayed silent for the rest of the conversation. It was entertaining to see his friends bickering from time to time. He is glad he and Taehyun have blended with their group of friends that well. If it wasn’t for Kai and Seojun he would definitely feel like a fish out of water. He couldn’t wait to have more moments like this with them.

* * *

Yeonjun was done with breakfast. He didn’t know what filled him up more, the thirst the girls were having over Soobin or the actual food. From time to time, they made sure to congratulate him too in case he was feeling invisible to them. It didn’t matter to him at all, he was just glad they did one time. He has been receiving compliments ever since his cabin won the race. It felt good since most of the compliments he received weren’t because of things he did but for the accomplishments his family had done. For once, Yeonjun had something to be proud even if it was as small as winning a race.

Ever since he decided to sit with the pair of crazy fan girls his mornings have become lighter and in some way fun. They are like parrots on crack; they can’t stop talking about anything really. If it was any other person he would find it annoying, but their personalities are so out of this world that it makes it fun to listen to them talk. He barely talked in their table, only when they asked something to him. It was a good idea to take a break from Beomgyu’s friends and the pig. He may miss talking to his friend but he couldn’t stand sitting with them.

Now that he had the day free, he just needed to know if the day was sunny or if it had stayed cloudy. If it was sunny, he will be taking a long nap by a tree away from the commotion of the activity; and if it was cloudy, he would still go outside but stay inside the cabin if it seemed like it was going to rain.

When he got outside the main cabin, he got surprised when a shirt dropped right in front of him. Why would a shirt fall down from the sky? It has happened again, someone did the same old prank. It was earlier than he expected but the day has come. Somebody forgot to lock their wardrobe and while he was eating breakfast, somebody took the chance to make the prank. He heard a few footsteps approaching behind him and going out the cabin to look for the rest of the work.

“Hey it’s prank day! Come check it out!” That person screamed to the dining room

It wasn’t of his interest to know who the victim was so he made his way to the cabin. As long as it wasn’t him, there was nothing to worry about. And by the look of that cheap shirt, he saw, it was definitely not him.

Unfortunately, for him, the day was cloudy. It didn’t seem as if it was going to rain but you can feel the cold wind blowing, not optimal for outside naps. He made his way to his cabin anyway, he had to take a shower and get ready before he decided what to do. While he walked, he could see a trail of clothes in the path that led to the main cabin. Maybe this way he could know in which cabin the victim was, it was a little fun playing as detective while he went to his cabin so why not. He had passed the first block of houses and the trail continued so no one from the first four cabins was pranked. Every now and then Yeonjun pushed a rock over a piece of clothing so it didn’t fly away, he wasn’t going to collect them and be the honorable person he was supposed to be but he wasn’t that evil to let more damage to happen. After all, it was the clothes of a transfer; money doesn’t come easy to them.

On his way, he cleared Cabin five, six and seven. More than a half of the cabins have been cleared, if it isn’t Cabin eight or his, he won’t know which cabin was pranked. A little disappointing but he won’t walk more just to know the answer. He heard some chuckles ahead of him, maybe the pranksters were close to him. Yeonjun could see that Cabin eight had the door open and that some shadows were moving inside of it. It was Cabin eight that got pranked, of what he knows he doesn’t know anyone from there so it didn’t affect him at all. He was finally in his cabin; it was warmer inside, perfect for a nap. But before he entered the bedroom, he hear whispers and laughter. He was the first one out the main cabin so none of his roommates had arrived. Who was inside?

He entered and turned on the light so that he could see what was going on. There were three guys he had barely seen in his life standing in front of different wardrobes. Of what he could see they didn’t have the keys, but hairpins, they were forcefully unlocking them.

“Y- Yeonjun! What are you doing here?” One guy said

“Do I have to explain to you why I am in my cabin?” He said coldly, he didn’t mean to fight or anything but a little intimidation worked

“This is your cabin?”

“I think I made myself very clear, but more importantly … What are you doing to my wardrobe?” It wasn’t his; in fact, it was Soobin’s

“This is yours? I am so sorry I really didn-“

“Just shut up and go. The prank is supposed to be for the stupid ones that lose their key not for whomever you like. I see that you have a problem with me as you are standing in front of my-“

“No! Not at all, I’m-“

“I really don’t care what you have to say. Leave before your friends have to carry your unconscious body out of here”

The other two guys grabbed the other guy and left without speaking another word. Maybe those years of practice of intimidation methods really worked after all. If he was being really honest, he was a little scared they would escalate the whole thing and start a fight but he is relieved it didn’t come to it. Yeonjun had never fought with someone in his life; he had sparred with Beomgyu for him to leave him alone or to shut up but nothing as serious as a fight. He never got that angry with someone to fight them, in most cases just annoyed, like with the pig. Maybe his first fight will be with pig if he doesn’t shut up, maybe that could happen one day.

Now that those three have left the cabin, he looks back in his actions. Maybe he went a bit too far with the intimidation thing, it made him embarrassed to think that he could act as that type of person when he really isn’t. In the first place, what they were doing had nothing to do with him; they weren’t even unlocking his wardrobe but the ones that belonged to other people. In the past, he would’ve let them continued. Why did he act like this? More importantly, why did he stop them when he realized who owned the closet that guy was forging? He doesn’t know.

* * *

Even though the day started very chaotic, the rest of it was really laid back. When that other person screamed that someone did a prank his heart sunk like never before. He carried the key everywhere he went but for some reason he didn’t remember if he had locked his wardrobe. He and the others went to see the outside of the building along with the rest of the people, even the cooking staff went. There were clothes on the roof, on the windows, over some branches of some trees and the long waited underwear-waving flag. He looked around frantically to see if those were his clothes but of what he could see, they weren’t his. He must admit they looked as something he would wear since they didn’t seem like the expensive clothes the other students wore. For this reason Kai, Taehyun and Seojun asked him immediately if those were his, a little rude of them but he understood why they did it.

The mess the prankster made with those clothes could take a long time to fix. He understands that this is a traditional prank they did every year, but he can sympathize with the victim. If he was the one that had to collect all of the clothes, he would be very bumped out.

“Damn, this is such a mess. Imagine having to pick up all of this, lazy me would just buy some more clothes but I don’t think this guy can do that” One guy said beside Soobin

“Not shit, Sherlock” Taehyun said back to that guy out of nowhere

“Hey Taehyun, was it? How you doing?” The guy said back to him oblivious that Taehyun was mocking him

“Couldn’t be better Beomgyu, thank you for asking” Taehyun said sarcastically

“Amazing, it’s great you are doing good. Last night I thought I was doing a lot of noise so I thought you were angry with me, but you are doing just fine. See you later at the cabin then, bye” Beomgyu said to him in a good mood

“If I could give that guy half of my brain so that he could have some intelligence believe me that I would. He is brainless, I feel so bad for whoever that lives with him” Taehyun said to Soobin

“He seems a little … off, but he doesn’t seem to mean any harm”

“He is just like a puppy that likes to bite because he is playing” Kai said from their behind

“A puppy I would never have” Taehyun said

“Everyone loves puppies, even the weird ones. That’s why everyone loves him” Kai said

“Everyone is a big word if you ask me” Taehyun said

“Anyways, he is a good guy but his friends not so much. I guess he can’t distinguish between good and bad people”

“What do you mean?” Soobin asked

“He hangs around a group of guys that everyone tries to avoid. I wouldn’t say they are bullies, but they definitely won’t make your life easier either. As long as you don’t mess with them, there is nothing to worry about. I mentioned them even before the trip started, in the email remember, I guess I forgot to tell you all of it”

“Oh yeah … somebody else told me about them. I just don’t know who they are”

“Let’s wait until lunch. I can’t see them right now. You can identify them clearly when they are seating together”

“Is … Yeonjun one of them?” Soobin asked Kai

“No … at least those are the vibes that he gives. He just seems to be around them because Beomgyu is his only true friend. He is a lonely guy after all; I don’t think he even talks to them”

“I see …”

“Anyways we and the unfortunate rest of people need to get ready for today not like you and Seojun. So see you later” Kai said to them

“I have to go too, see you” Taehyun said to Soobin

Soobin would have left with them but he hadn’t finished his breakfast and neither did Seojun so they went back in. Those were some of the benefits of winning the race; he could stay and eat as much as you wanted without having a schedule. According to Seojun another prank may happen other day but usually is only one so they could stop being anxious about it. Soobin was a little unsure so he still preferred to lock his wardrobe, just in case. As they were leaving, they could see that nobody has grabbed the clothes still. That person must be humiliated right now.

They went to their cabin to group up with the others to see what they were up to. Some of them were on the living room doing nothing, one guy was taking a shower and Yeonjun and one other guy were lying in bed. Soobin was still unsure of what he wanted to do so he just went to take a shower. But before that, he went to take his clothes from his wardrobe but noticed something strange in it. There was a hairpin stuck right in the keyhole. Why was a hairpin in his wardrobe? None of the guys in his cabin used them, but why is it stuck there? He took it out and looked at it carefully in case he could remember whose it was but nothing.

“Hey … Yeonjun, is this yours?” He asked Yeonjun who was still awake, not like the other guy

“Where did you get it?” The look on Yeonjun’s face was a little scary, he was surprised to say the least

“It was stuck in my wardrobe, I don’t know how it got there …” At this Yeonjun sat on his bed and looked at other wardrobes as if he expected to find other hairpins ”Is everything ok?”

“Yeah …” He said not very convincing

“Is it yours?”

“No, not at all”

“Ok, I guess it’s somebody else’s. Sorry for bothering you”

“Don’t mind” Yeonjun returned to do what he was doing

Soobin can’t understand how that hairpin ended up in his wardrobe but it didn’t seem that big of a deal so he left it in the living room so anyone that entered could see it and claim it if it was theirs. Something didn’t fit quite right with Yeonjun’s reaction but he decided not to think much of it.

* * *

Yeonjun couldn’t stop thinking how stupid he was. It is common sense that if you catch somebody forging something and you scare them away but don’t want anyone to know about it you must check that there is no evidence left behind. But no, he went to take a shower, took some time making himself presentable and went to his bed instead of doing this, stupid, stupid. Not only that, he clearly made himself suspicious with the way he acted, he could have easily said no and moved on with his own business but he made a fool of himself. This happened hours ago, today’s activity had already finished and he was still thinking of this. He needed to avoid talking of the topic so he got himself out of bed and went to take a walk, he hasn’t returned since then. He needed dome distraction so he went to Beomgyu’s cabin to see if he was doing something. Yeonjun found Beomgyu talking with some other people in their living room but he needed to talk to him for some time so he nodded his head for him to come outside.

“Hey what’s up? It has been years since we talked” Beomgyu said

“Yeah seems like it”

“What is it? Do you miss me?”

“Not really, I just don’t have anyone to talk to”

“Don’t worry friend, Beomgyu is here for your rescue”

“I knew watching ’Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses’ fifteen times had burned your brain to a crisp. I just didn’t know that none of it was left”

“Shh, not so loud! And in my defense it is a great movie and you also watched it too so shut up”

“If I didn’t watch it with you, you would have cried all day nonstop. Anything is better than you making a fuss out of that movie”

“Just forget it … I missed this you know”

“It has been two days, and I thought I was the one who needed you”

“Why did you switch tables? Are those girls better than me?”

“Totally, they don’t cry at all. Sometimes they give me some of their food; you are unable to do that since you are basically a trash can”

“Stupid girls, they don’t value food as much as they should. You can have my broccoli, I don’t like it”

“Of course you only give me the food you don’t want, what am I your dog?”

“Hey! Mr.Puffles has never had this attitude, that’s why he is the best”

“Sure, sure …”

How can he forget Mr.Puffles, stupid dog. He is the typical rich dog that is so papered that he even has his own full-furnished mini-house in the patio. That dog always smells of lavender, stupid lavender. There was something in that dog that made collision with Yeonjun’s life. Mr.Puffles never did something wrong to him or the other way around but he is sure that they despise each other. Yeonjun can swear that he has seen fire come out of that dog’s eyes when they made eye contact. If he made a list of the things he hated the most of living in a rich household and transformed it into a living being he is sure that Mr.Puffles will be the result. Stupid dog, stupid Mr.Puffles.

“You know I could like you a lot more if you get rid of that dog”

“Choi Yeonjun, you have disrespected one of my family members”

“Soon to be ex-family member, how long has he been alive? Not even Ken is that old. Hopefully he will be gone in a couple of months … maybe days”

“Don’t call death on my dog or I swear-“

“Calm down, I’m kidding … kind of”

Yeonjun was feeling better after talking with Beomgyu; he was the person he needed to take his mind out of his business with the cabin. Hopefully the topic of the hairpin ended and when he returns, nobody is talking about it.

This time for dinner, he decided to sit with Beomgyu. He wanted to stay by his side some more time before he returned to his habit the past couple of days. He would stay there, but he can’t handle the pig and his friends. He also doesn’t want Beomgyu to choose between him and them, he will just put him in a bad position and he doesn’t want that for him so he will leave things as they are.

They didn’t talk of anything out of normal; even the pig has stayed in his own lain and hadn’t done stupid remarks at all. As long as they kept talking like this, he is sure he is able to survive what was left of dinner. In the meantime, he talked to Beomgyu to ignore the other voices in the table; after all, he was just there because of his friend, not because of them. Thankfully, time passed by fast and dinner was over. He was making his way out of the dining room when he heard a counselor whistle so that people paid attention to him.

“Hi, this is just to remind you that from tomorrow onward we will be starting the aquatic activities so don’t forget to take your swimsuit or whatever you will be wearing. Don’t wear anything too exposing, we didn’t come here so that you can have a bathing suit competition, that goes for both parties. Is everyone clear?”

Just what he needed, the lake activities were starting tomorrow. Those are the ones he hates the most but there is no way of avoiding them. He just hopes they go by as fast as possible, stupid lake, stupid activities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Hope you are enjoying the story. I have took some time to reorganize my ideas for this fic and I like how it is coming along. See you and thank you for your support! <3


	13. Berserker

Soobin felt like with every bite he took, he was getting closer to throwing up his whole breakfast. This wasn’t because he was ill or anything like that. Only those most close to him know his secret, he doesn’t know how to swim well. He has done it before, he knows how to move his arms, legs and even knows some professional moves; of course while he is on land. However, for some reason he only sinks like a rock when he tries to swim. Ever since he was a toddler, his parents tried to help him to keep him afloat but every time they let go of him he sank, just like a bag of potatoes. Right now, only Kai knows about this. When they were younger, their families made trips to public pools so that they could have fun and practice their swimming but as you know Soobin’s capability of floating never got better. Not only was he going to swim at some point in the activities to come, but in case he needs to swim for his dear life he is scared he won’t be able to do so. Even more frustrating was that everyone will know that he didn’t know how to swim well when they see his dead body make shore days later. His mind is occupied thinking of how his tombstone will look like.

’Choi Soobin, didn’t know how to float, may he rest in peace’

The only thing that could help him could be some floats or any kind of miracle. He was considering his options at this point; there was something he could do about this. He wasn’t going to make a fool of himself in front of his new classmates, so he made a list.

  1. Throw up in front of a counselor so he could prove his “sickness”
  2. Tell a counselor his situation
  3. Never participate and go to the back of the line
  4. Never show up and say you got lost
  5. Hope for the best
  6. Actually just die



Why was keeping a float so difficult for him? Literally kids before the age of one could do it so, why couldn’t he? Soobin was beginning to shake a little; they had more time to get ready before they went to the lake due to health reasons and all of that, which benefitted Soobin. This way he could think for a little more and figure out what he was going to do.

“Soobin … are you ok? You are getting pale … and sweaty” Soobin heard Taehyun say to him

“Don’t worry, I’m fine” He said back

“You don’t seem fine, maybe you should talk to someone you really seem sick”

“Hehe that is just the same old Soobin. He gets sick everytime he wakes up but gets better minutes later … right Soobin?” Kai said while hitting him under the table

“Ugh, yeah don’t worry Taehyun. I really am fine”

Maybe he could add another option to the list, now that his leg is broken for sure. Why did he have to hit him so hard? Damn you Huening Kai, may you never eat ice cream again.

Soobin made sure to be the first one in their cabin to get ready. He applied the technics he learned from home, the lightning shower, putting two clothes at the same time, brushing his hair with his hand and the speedy-deep cleansing brush teeth method. Thank god that he was a deep sleeper, if he wasn’t late for school so much he wouldn’t have mastered these routines.

He put on a plain white shirt and the swimming shorts that he had brought. When he was home, he could only find swimming wear that he used years before, but after looking through the back of his closet, he found one that fit him well. He stepped out of the cabin earlier than the others to look around the lake if there were any kind of floating lines or buoys that could help him survive. Sadly, there were none. Of course, there was going to be like a lifesaver when the activity began, but at this point, he prefers to let him drown in case he failed on swimming. That way people would think he got a sprain or even a heart attack instead of the cruel truth, he wanted to have the benefit of the doubt.

Soobin heard some footsteps coming from behind him, last time he checked, there was still a plenty of time to get ready. No one was supposed to be this early, he needed more time.

“Soobin? What are you doing here?” He heard

“Misoo? Umm, hi. Nothing just looking around” He said back

“You seem to be putting a lot of energy in your ’looking around’. Are you sure you are ok? You look very pale …”

“Don’t worry about me, I must have ate something weird this morning”

“Tell me what you ate because I need to keep myself away from it then, you look very bad” She said jokingly

“Everyone has told me the same”

“You know, this is such a perfect day by the lake. Don’t you think?”

“Hehe … Why do you say so …”

“The sun is shining, there is practically no disturbance in the water, there is almost no wind, everything seems perfect”

“Well is a lake after all … not an ocean”

“Oh, I see. You are so smart, huh”

“I- I didn’t mean to say it like that, I’m sorry if-“

“Don’t worry I see how it is, men, they always think they are so smart. They only seem cocky when they do it”

“I really didn’t mean to! Seriously” Soobin said to her almost fanatically. He then got confused when she started laughing

“I know, I know. You are just easy to fool, I know you didn’t mean it that way don’t worry”

“One day I will get revenge …”

“I will wait for that day to come. By the way, you need to get better at lying I could tell from miles away that you actually do feel bad about something that isn’t food related. Well, I don’t know what got you so freaked out but just let go of your worries and enjoy the moment, everything is going to be ok”

“Yeah, well I hope so”

“It will, be confident” Soobin didn’t have noticed how close they were right now, it wasn’t as that night by the lake but they were close “Then, umm … see you later. I have to help some of the girls with their hair and … other stuff” Misoo turned back to her cabin after this

“See you … liar!” He screamed at her seconds after. He received a shy happy smile from her when she quickly turned back to see him. Maybe he could be confident; if this was considered a part of it, the rest may be as easy.

* * *

He was tired. When will people leave him alone and let him do whatever he wanted? He was getting tired of the stupid activities, even if he had only done one. Running for two hours was enough; Yeonjun had actually put effort in in that activity. Why would he need to do another one? It was such a nuisance. He hated the activities by the lake because they required getting wet and he didn’t like that at all. It wasn’t that he hated water; it was the whole process that comes after getting soaked. He hated the feeling of clothes sticking to your skin, the need to dry himself, and then take a shower just to be fully cleaned. At least this was a lake, he hated the ocean because there was sand; don’t even get him started of why he hates sand. He needed to get this over with so he can go and do nothing all by himself, after all this day was just perfect for that.

He went near the lake to wait for the activity to start; he didn’t want to stay at the cabin doing absolutely nothing. At least outside there was sun and silence, it was a plus that he could take this couple of minutes to himself. He was walking towards one of the lounging chairs that was partially under a tree when he heard two people talking in the distance. It wasn’t of his interest so he stayed in his business. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about since they were far away from him but he could still hear their voices, those were very familiar. He was losing consciousness from his surroundings now that he was falling into the nap he has been yearning since days. This reminded him so much of home and Ken, the only thing that was better in this camp trip was the fresh air. His house was in the city so the air is polluted but here in the camp, he can take as much fresh air as he wants. For some, the quality of air is barely distinguishable but he can tell the difference with little effort.

He then jumped out of fear when he heard someone scream ’liar’ close to him. Who is that jerk that screamed just now? He looked to the direction the scream came from just to notice Soobin smiling at Misoo. Really? Those lovebirds were the ones that kept him awake? When was he going to stop being related to them? Sure, he had talked to Soobin before and he seemed nice and all but nothing more to say but he wanted to fall out of the whole relationship those two had. If they wanted to be something, sure go ahead, but do it a far from him, he doesn’t want to know your business. Maybe he did days ago but now he just wants to return to how everything was before Soobin transferred from who knows which school.

It was such a nuisance after all. This morning he had to listen to a whole thirst of the fan girls because they thought he was once again sick. ’He looks so pale’ ’Tina do you have more medicine?’ ’Oh, no he looks so sad’ if only those two could see how good he is doing right now their worries could have flown away very easily. He must admit he also thought he was sick, the guy looked white as snow and he was overreacting earlier in the cabin but after this, he is sure he will do just fine. He just needed a dose of sweet Misoo.

* * *

“Gather around people, today as you know will start the lake activities so pay attention. Today, we will do something new and fun you could say. I know the word fun doesn’t call to you at this moment but believe me I am sure it will. Because this is your penultimate camp trip and many of you will not come to the last one, we wanted to end it big. So with the help of some of your parents we have afforded some jet skis for your stay here”

Jet skis, are you kidding me? How rich are this people for them to be spending so much money on a camp trip? His family could hardly afford a toy jet ski for him when he was seven years old and this people are buying jet skis just for two weeks and a half days. This was going to be the first time Soobin was going to get on a jet ski; he always wanted to ride one.

“See I told you. You didn’t have to worry about a thing” He heard Kai whisper to his ear

“Did you know about this?” Soobin asked him

“In fact, it was my idea” He said back with a smirk

“Are you crazy?”

“Hey, when you told me about your transfer I wanted to make this trip the most enjoyable for you. This way you won’t have to swim or anything like that at least for a whole day. Just try not to fall and you will be fine” Kai said to him with a big smile

“Did your family buy jet skis just for me not to swim? Are you insane?”

“I also wanted to have some fun don’t worry about it. If this makes you feel better, not only my family bought them, it was a parent committee thing so just drop it”

“Other families bought jet skis just for me not to swim … amazing” He felt a little down by this, so much money thrown out for nothing

“Hey don’t be so dramatic, it’s only a waste if you don’t make the most out of it, so live for the moment”

Is this what she meant by ’a perfect day by the lake’? She must have known about this too, there would be no other reason to be so excited about the activity. Well, at least he would be safe for a day, he just needed to hold on tight to the jet ski and nothing wrong was going to happen.

Today’s activity was an obstacle course, in which one person of each team had to complete the marked course and then return to the starting point so that another person could go. Soobin easily got into the team that consisted of Seojun, Taehyun, Kai and his friends. It was the planned team since the beginning of the trip. If it weren’t because of the past activities, they would’ve done them together. Though he doesn’t wish that the past ones were different since he got to know more about his roommates and new people.

It was a fairly fast activity since it only required one round and for the fact that they were riding jet skis. He was going to be the second one to go since he was new to the experience of riding one. Apparently, for these people it was common to know how to ride a jet ski as it was for him to ride a bicycle. In some way, they were similar, but he must admit that knowing how to ride a motorcycle instead of a bicycle could have been more handy. One of Kai’s friend was the one that went first, he was the best at riding jet skis so he went first to make time for the others. It was such a shame that he was going to ruin their score if he messed up.

The guy was making his way back before the other groups did so that was a good sign for their team. He was repeating to himself what Taehyun told him seconds before. Right pull to go, left pull to stop, while turning accelerate or it won’t turn and in straight lines go full speed because we want to win. If that full speed ahead meant for him to crash into the dock but guaranteed his team to win at the price of his life, he was going to do it. After all he had planned to die this day, if it wants because of drowning maybe a bloody crash could make up for it.

Soobin acted by instinct and just hopped on the jet ski as it was a bicycle and went full speed ahead. The adrenaline he was feeling was out of this world, it was like mounting a bull. There were some waves now that the other teams had agitated the water so from time to time he flew across waves; it was like out of an action movie. He then slowed down to do the course so he could go back as quick as possible. He followed the marked path in a considerable speed; he found this easy since he saw the guy before him do it correctly. He was making his last turns when he saw other team catching up so he followed the advice Taehyun told him, full speed ahead.

Soobin doesn’t know if he is being reckless or if the other guy actually values his life more than this competition because that other guy is clearly not going as fast as he is. But by this time he doesn’t care, the fastest he gets out of water, the calmer he will be about the swimming situation. He was indebted with Kai’s parents and all those other families that paid for these jet skis, at least they gave him a day less of swimming, he is grateful for that. Now Soobin was getting closer to the dock where he had to exchange places it was now or never that he had to make the choice of his life. Like actually the choice of his life, if he didn’t brake right now he was definitively going to die in the crash. Soobin pulled the left hang with all his strength and he stopped right before crashing against the wooden structure. He almost got in shock but he needed to give his place to the next guy so he just jumped to the platform and left the jet ski free for the other guy.

“Hey maniac! Are you insane? Did you want to kill us or something?” Kai screamed at him. At this Soobin started laughing with all of his capacity, the adrenaline had to come out some way and this was it

“I really think he is sick, not just physically but also mentally” Soobin heard Seojun say to Kai

“Damn, even Lightning McQueen would be jealous of that speed. Did you see that? You really went in on that turbo let me tell you that much” Taehyun said

“I guess the money the committee invested definitely didn’t go to waste” Kai said happily to all of them

* * *

Yeonjun has to admit that Soobin went berserker, not even Beomgyu would go that fast and that was saying a lot. The only reason Beomgyu would do that is in the case that Mr. Puffles’ life was in danger. Stupid dog, he will just let him drown and end the world’s misery of having that monster roaming around. In reality, he would of course save Mr. Puffles but he likes the thought of not having him in the physical realm.

Yeonjun could hear gasps and words filled with horror when Soobin was approaching the dock. Everyone thought he was going to die, along with the others in front of him. This camp trip would have gone very different if he hadn’t stop at the right moment. He expected Soobin to apologize to his teammates or say something along the lines of ’sorry I lost control’ or something like that but he only got laughter in return. That guy lost his mind in just a couple of minutes. Well that may happen considering he must have seen his whole life pass in front of him seconds ago.

“And you think I am the crazy one? Who would have thought the new guy would be so … weird” Beomgyu said to him

“I guess” Yeonjun said back

“Should I do it too? It seems fun”

“Go ahead, just dock somewhere else. I don’t believe you will actually stop on time”

“I am sure I will, just watch”

“Just try not to kill me if you can ok?”

“Consider it done, and in record time”

Yeonjun didn’t put attention to Beomgyu’s turn but something must have happened since he heard to others squirm. Whatever happened to him wasn’t good that’s for sure, they may have lost the competition thanks to this but it didn’t matter. Yeonjun had his full attention on the berserker guy. Something about his laugh made him feel something, it was contagious. Yeonjun was unknowingly smirking.

* * *

The rest of the day was the most fun Soobin has had in months. Even though they didn’t win the competition, he felt very happy with everything that happened. Unfortunately, it was cancelled since another guy had an accident with his jet ski, Beomgyu the guy he saw before. Nothing wrong happened since he fell before the crash happened but they preferred to stop for the day before somebody else got hurt. Maybe they should have called it off the minute they saw him storm the lake, that way that wouldn’t have happened but anyways …

The rest of the day was filled with fun since they could use the jet skis since they belonged to them. They only had the restriction of speed so nothing bad happened. Now that he was able to experience what was riding a jet ski without losing his mind, he enjoyed every little experience he acquired from riding it around with his friends. He rode it with Kai, Taehyun and even with Seojun at times. A long time ago, he hasn’t felt so free and happy, it’s not like he has suffered all of this time, he just wanted some time to be a teenager, actually be free of responsibilities, and actually have fun. This was definitely one of the best days he has lived and he will surely remember it for most of his life.

* * *

As natural, Yeonjun had to be the one to take care of Beomgyu when he got in trouble. That was some of the downsides of having a crackhead as your best friend, and for the record, accidents always happened to Beomgyu, he is like a magnet to bad fortune. Beomgyu was sent to the infirmary to get a little scratch treated, being the dramatic self he was, he thought he was going to die. How could he not think he was going to die when he was going that fast? Yeonjun doesn’t know how fast he was going since he was … busy, but knowing him it must not have been very different to what he saw earlier. While Beomgyu was being ’treated’ he went and changed his wet clothes, finally he thought. He then stayed by his side until dinner in case that ’other side effects’ emerged. How ridiculous, that scratch couldn’t even kill a fly even if it wanted.

As a payback from all of those times he has had to act as his personal nurse, he took two sleeping pills from one cabinet when no one was looking and gave them to Beomgyu minutes later as if they were painkillers. In his defense, they were painkillers, when you fall asleep you feel nothing at all. Now he could enjoy his day as he had always wanted, taking a nap in a lounging chair, under a tree and with no one to disturb him. He just had to pretend that those loud snores were Ken’s and not Beomgyu’s and he will be fine. And he was, until the thirsty fan girls arrived. Ever since he sat with them at their table, they have assumed they are his friends and have started talking a lot to him. It didn’t matter to him at the table but when he was napping, he surely didn’t like it.

“Yeonjun are you awake?” Hyewon asked him in a low voice

“I am now! What do you want?” He answered loudly

“You shouldn’t scream. Isn’t he going to wake up?”

“This is what you call an undead person. He is knocked out, not even you can wake him up”

“Umm ok, I just wanted to ask if these were occupied or not?”

“Go ahead … just speak as low as possible. You may not wake him up but you will wake me”

“Sure, sure, don’t worry”

He was tempted to say that they were occupied for someone else but who was he kidding, he didn’t have any more friends than Beomgyu. Surprisingly, they did keep their promise and stayed quiet most of the time it was weird coming from them but it didn’t matter as long as he could sleep. He had to thank Beomgyu for something, now that he was ’sick’ and unable to move their lunch and some snacks were given to them as a delivery service. Today was like staying in a five star hotel and he was enjoying it a lot. Funny to think that if Soobin didn’t go berserker with his jet ski, they wouldn’t be having this treatment. It became alarming since Beomgyu didn’t wake up until minutes before dinner but he blames it on the ’concussion’ instead of the drugs he have him.

Yeonjun really had an amazing day, he barely got wet, he took naps almost the whole day, he got delivery service right in front of the lake, and Beomgyu stayed silent for most of the day. It may never happen again so he made sure to enjoy it to the fullest.

Dinner was almost over by now, his table and some others where finishing their food before they went back to their respective cabins. Everything was closing down, the lights in the kitchen were turning off, they closed the windows and many of the counselors were already in their rooms. It was one of the best parts of staying out late in the main cabin, he enjoyed watching everyone finish their business and how everything turned dark as time passed. Though somethings weren’t turning off and those were the mouths of the fan girls, all dinner they have spent whispering to each other and haven’t talked to him at all. They were doing something suspicious, and he is not sure that he wants to know … but he does.

“Hey! What are you two up to? You are there acting all weird, be normal when I am here. What would people think of me when they see me with you?”

“Yeonjun, we are sorry. It’s just something between us; we won’t be weird from now on, sorry” Tina apologize to him

“Between you two? What is this a blood pact or something? Do I need to bring holy water or something?”

“It’s not like that, it’s about Soobin but we notice that everytime you hear us talk about him you don’t like it so we keep it to ourselves”

“You are thirsting for him at this hour of the day? Still on that train? Damn”

“See, you get like that everytime we do it”

“Just to make it clear I don’t have a thing against the guy it’s just that I think you are a little pathetic”

“What? You are so rude all of a sudden!”

“Well if you really are interested in him then do something about it, this morning Misoo didn’t seem as conflicted as you are”

“Misoo? What happened?” Hyewon asked as if her life depended on it

“Oh, you don’t want to know”

“What are we going to do Hyewon?”

“Oh, I know what we are going to do” Hyewon said fully sure of her answer “You are going to bring him here, he will sit with us” She said pointing at Yeonjun

“Me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Once again, I hope you are enjoying the story. I am sorry if I am updating a little later than how I used to, some things came up these days but I will return to how it was before soon. Thank you for reading and for the support! See you next chapter! <3


	14. Closer

“Ok tell me if you got them all” Kai said to both Soobin and Taehyun

“Yeah, yeah, we get it. Stay away from the bad boy gang and everything will be good. Why are you making such a big of a deal? You said they wouldn’t do anything bad to us” Taehyun said

“It’s not just keeping your distance; you also want to avoid anything that brings attention to you. They don’t like it when they don’t get what they want” Seojun added

“Look, Soobin has turned eyes of many girls here, even Misoo. It has been almost a week and nothing bad has happened so I really don’t think there is anything to worry about” Taehyun said back

“Yeah sure Casanova, I am the one flirting around. I have seen how you pretend to act cool in front of some girls. You think you are all that don’t you?” Soobin argued back

“I am and much more”

“Sure, sure …”

“Let’s just get over with it. Are you sure you recognize everyone?” Seojun said

“For the millionth time, yes” Taehyun said

“Fine, we won’t have to talk about this ever again. Now, let’s finish breakfast we have a long day ahead of us” Kai said

“What are we going to do? It’s the weekend so it’s free right?” Soobin asked

“Yeah, we go back to activities on Monday. This year they haven’t worked our ass of, last year was nothing compared to this one. Maybe it’s because it’s the last one for many of us” Kai said

“Why is everyone so eager to leave? I enjoy staying here. Not only I can leave my house, I can also be with you guys practically all day”

“How sweet of you Soobin, I also enjoy being with you” Seojun said making baby noises to him “But to answer your question. Many of this people have planned trips to go to other countries or simply don’t want to come so they can do other stuff”

“This is totally my thing. I have always loved the outdoors, animals and anything that came with nature; except insects I hate them” Taehyun said

“You also seem very humble. Did you grow up not having this life? You know, my family didn’t have the amount of money they have right now. I even grew up in the same neighborhood as Soobin. We practically did everything together” Kai said while hugging his friend tightly

“I have lived the same since I was born but my family didn’t have much growing up. They promised themselves to not start a family until they got successful and to raise their kids properly, thankfully, that happened and now I am here”

“Yeah … thankfully” Seojun said rolling his eyes

“What about you? I am curious to know” Taehyun said to Seojun

“Well, I never really cared about money or anything like that. Apart from the status my family has, I consider myself to be as normal as anyone else”

“Not many of this people end up like us. Some may feel superior to others thanks to the silver spoon that they were born with. Others need to fill their parents’ expectations so they focus on school more than anything else and end up socially distanced. And others are just reckless and brainless because they don’t really need to do anything to accomplish their dreams” One of Kai’s friends added

“That sounds very familiar” Taehyun said while turning to see the noisy table that was meters away from theirs

“One more week and we can switch cabins, just hold on” Soobin assured his friend. He was intrigued of how much noise they did at night so that Taehyun looked this bad and tired.

“Anyways, I feel like walking around today. Maybe we can go and explore more of the camp, Soobin and I haven’t seen all of it”

“Sounds good to me” Soobin said

“We can ask for the cooking staff to prepare something for us and we can have a picnic and not come all the way here for lunch” Kai said

“Can we do that?” Soobin asked

“Yeah, almost every day in the last week is like that. Only a few people actually come here for lunch. But breakfast and dinner always stay the same”

“I guess that’s what we are doing today. I will go and tell them we are having a picnic and not lunch for today. Soobin wanna come with me? We can go straight to the cabin after this to get ready” Seojun said

“Yeah sure let’s go” Soobin said to him. It still surprised Soobin how well he had merged with Kai’s circle of friends, especially Seojun. Maybe staying with the same person in the same cabin for so long really helped to create a friendship between them.

* * *

This whole morning has been so irritating for Yeonjun, he wishes he had that headache from days before so he can stay at his cabin and not be in the presence of these angry parrots screaming at him.

“You promised! How could you do this to us? You traitor” Hyewon said to him

“You shouldn’t give us hope so you can crush it with your big lies the next day. This is unspeakable, top 10 anime betrayals”

“I never promised anything. Are your brains that damaged that you distort reality to your benefit?” He said to them

“And now you dare to insult us?” Tina said with tears in her eyes

“Let me tell you something, if I had known that you were such a jerk I wouldn’t have gave you those french chocolates on our second year” Hyewon argued

“That was you? I am just asking out of curiosity now … were you the one that signed the box with ’xoxo candy girl’?”

“No … that was me” Tina said completely embarrassed. At this Yeonjun had to contain his laughter. Now the mystery of who was candy girl ended, he had seen the same signature in many gifts that he got before.

“If you are candy girl then … don’t tell me you are ... pumpkin honey?” He had to ask, he needed to know

“That person is dead and her compassion for you” It may have been months since he had laughed as much as he was right now. It wasn’t like how it was at the bus, now he could laugh and he won’t care if someone noticed. What was the possibility that candy girl and pumpkin honey were seating with him right now. They were no longer his fan girls of what he could tell, but it didn’t matter because now he could presence their daily struggles and thirst over Soobin. It was as if the stars aligned for Yeonjun, he will thank them one day for all the entertainment they brought to his life.

“I really can’t believe it, you have made my day” Yeonjun said trying to calm himself

“I bet you didn’t even eat them, how ungrateful”

“Actually, I sometimes ate two or three because Beomgyu went ahead and ate most of them before I even opened the box” Maybe he shouldn’t have said that, Hyewon and Tina are now glaring at him with so much hate “But they were really good, thank you for those chocolates and candy … and drinks … and snacks, everything. Thank you” He didn’t want to admit it but sometimes those little gifts made him feel better. They were a proof that at least someone cared enough to give him something.

“You sound very thankful right now … do you want to pay us back?” Tina said with curiosity

“Ugh … What do I have to do?” He barely finished the sentence when the two girls screeched in happiness “I will only do it once, from then on it’s up to you”

“Thank you so much! I knew those chocolates my uncle gave me didn’t die in vain. I am getting a bigger price than what I expected. Thank you uncle!” Hyewon said out of ecstasy. Damn, he knew she was all about Soobin right now but have some respect; he was still in the table.

“Tell me before I change my mind” Yeonjun said

“Ok, you have to bring him here for dinner, and also you need to stay with us. He gets awkward when it’s only the two of us” Tina said

“I can’t imagine why …” Yeonjun said sarcastically

“But he gets so cute and squishy when he is shy, he is so cute”

“I know right, I just wanted to hug him and go to sleep besides him”

“Ok, ok stop with the whole teddy bear talk, it’s weird”

“Thank you Yeonjun. We will not make it awkward I promise” Hyewon said

“Yeah … sure. Whatever, see you later. I have things to do”

“Bye!”

He was out of the dining room and he could still hear those two chirping out of excitement. Yeonjun still couldn’t understand how they could center their whole attention to one guy. If humans only use 10% of their whole brain capacity, Tina and Hyewon were using all of it in Soobin. He was once again meddling in his life and business but at this point, he gives up. He is not doing it because of his own interest; he is only doing it as a promise to the fan girls. Yeonjun didn’t have to interact with him at all, he just needed to sit there while they talked, he could do that. He has done it most of his life with Beomgyu and his friends so it would be easy to replicate. And even if he talked at times, it wouldn’t be as bad because he can tell Soobin is not a toxic and disgusting being as the pig was, Soobin is actually someone nice to be around.

* * *

Soobin and Seojun were the first ones to get ready and since everyone else was still finishing their stuff, they went and retrieved the picnic baskets that they would take for later. Surprisingly the two baskets were heavy and full of food, they could have managed with only one but the staff insisted to take another one. It was better to have leftovers than to not be full, they said. They thankfully accepted it and went to where they had agreed to meet. The others came minutes later with their hair partially wet and with clothes not properly put.

“What happened to you? Did you fight a bear before you came?” Seojun asked

“No … Taehyun happened. He is the source of all my problems” Kai said, he was the one that looked the worst

“When I came to their cabin Kai was still in bed and the others hadn’t even finished showering. I told them that we three would go without them if they didn’t hurry up”

“Yeah and we told you to go ahead and that we will catch up to you later”

“Do you really think I would let you do that? You were snoring … snoring. I had to do something about it”

“Yeah but next time try not to destroy our cabin in the process. He almost knocked off our bathroom door”

“Well, now we are here, so lead the way”

“Ok … Nanny McPhee”

They walked through the paths that led to many other sections of the camp. Most of them led to cabins that were unused for quite some time. From time to time they encountered butterflies and other type of friendly bugs, and sometimes others not so much as mosquitoes and wasps. They had to run if the bugs suddenly went aggressive; they didn’t want to go all the way back just because one of them got stung. They really didn’t talk about anything special, most of the time Soobin listened to the stories Kai and his friends had from all of the years they have known each other. From where they walked, if they looked through the leaves of the trees, they could see sparkles of light that reflected from the lake. Kai and his friends were almost professionals in knowing the terrain of the camp but it was nice to keep close to a reference point in case you got lost.

At times, they rested and got near the lake to look for some lounge chairs where they could sit without worrying of ants and other insects crawling up your legs. They still had plenty of time until it was time to eat so they decided to get in the lake and have some fun. Soobin was still scared of not surviving the lake so he went as deep as he could without risking his life. Thankfully, he was taller compared to the others so he could get to the point where the others were floating but he was tiptoeing, so nothing seemed out of place. Soobin looked around to see how far they had gone from their camp. It was a considerable distance, but he could still see people walking around near the lake and others going for a swim. But then he noticed something else.

“What is that over there? Is it a cliff?” He asked

“It’s more of a really depressing waterfall. That’s the upstream part of the lake. There is a river that crosses this lake but it’s very lame, it barely makes a current” Kai said

“I thought this was just a common lake. Have you seen it up close?”

“It’s very far from our cabin; we have only gone there once. There is nothing special of it so we never went there again”

“Oh, I see”

“We can go if you want but we will need to get out of here and eat quickly because we need to make sure we go back by six. It starts getting dark by that hour”

“It’s not dangerous or anything but one time we got lost and returned by eight. It wasn’t as fun as we thought to stay out at night in the middle of the forest if you know what I mean” Seojun said

“Yeah we were crying and everything. It was literally pitch black, we only had flashlight that came in the picnic basket, it was a horror movie in real life”

“Imagine if you heard a saw coming your way in that moment” Taehyun said

“It gives me chills just thinking of it, but if you really want we can go and look around”

“Don’t worry I was just curious. Maybe some other day, we have a lot of time”

After some time, they got bored of the lake and returned to land to dry themselves of. The sun was the only thing that could help them but thankfully, it was sunny. It was the perfect time to eat lunch, so they searched for a bench and unpacked the food they brought. There was plenty of food to feed another group of people and a bunch of drinks inside. These baskets are probably more dangerous than the wasps and insects from before, with this much food they could attract a bear or something bigger. I guess they will have to eat until there is nothing left.

“Soobin … can I ask you something?” Kai asked

“Yeah sure. What is it?”

“So … What is going on between you and Misoo?” At this, the whole table cheered and whistled. Thank god they weren’t somewhere public, he would’ve been mortified.

“Look, he is blushing. He is so red!” Someone said

“Umm, I really don’t know. To be honest, I know there is something but I don’t think there is a name to it” Soobin said shortly

“But have you kissed or something” Taehyun asked

“No, no, it almost happened but no” He regrets opening his mouth, he should have stayed silent

“Was it that day you came late to the cabin? The night before you got sick right?” Seojun said

“Yeah … lovesick for sure” Kai joked about it

“Well she is a great girl, I really like her. I just don’t know anything about relationships at all so I don’t know what to do” He said in the middle of the jokes the other guys were doing, it was embarrassing for him to talk about it, but if he didn’t then who would he tell? He needed some advice

“If what you are looking for is some advice or anything like that, you better do not listen to any of these guys. They haven’t dated anyone that I am aware of and believe me, I know my stuff” Seojun said to him

“How could we if every girl here is interested in someone else, they are like depredators. Once they choose their victim they will never back down for something different”

“Those are some downsides of going to a rich school. There are three types of girls here, the ones who aren’t interested at all; two, the girls that want a rich husband even though they themselves are rich and three, they want a good looking guy. The first group, not available, the second wants Yeonjun and the third wants Yeonjun. It’s a miracle that you got Misoo interested in you. She might be the prettiest in our year. Now that I think of it … she was part of the first group before you came, I have never seen her with someone”

“You better not waste your luck, Misoo is the girl everyone likes. Don’t let her go away just because you didn’t make a move. I may not know much but I know that if you don’t do something about it then nothing will happen”

“I suppose … “ Luck? This was the first time someone said he had luck

* * *

Yeonjun spent most of his morning figuring out a plan to convince Soobin to sit with him and the crazy parrots. There was simply no way he could do it without looking weird, he simply couldn’t approach him and tell him ’Hey come sit with me, there are some girls that want to talk to you’. It would be the most random thing ever, and it’s very creepy. There might be a simple answer to this situation but he couldn’t figure out what it was. His options always included extreme measures that definitely wouldn’t happen; unless a T-Rex suddenly appeared in the dining room, which would be helpful, he already has that plan covered.

He couldn’t appreciate the day to its fullest because he was busy thinking about this. He still had a lot of time to find an answer but it didn’t make it easier having another parrot by his side. The original parrot, Beomgyu. He was getting tired of his never-ending rants, today it was about clouds. They were sitting on some lounging chairs taking sun and searching figures in the clouds while the other people fooled around by the lake. That’s how the T-Rex idea came up, one cloud looked like it and Yeonjun’s mind flew with ideas, useless ideas.

“I don’t understand. If clouds can float and everything … why don’t they just fly higher into space?” Beomgyu asked

“Do I look like a science teacher to you?” Yeonjun said annoyed

“You get better grades than I do; you are the smart one here. Don’t tell me you don’t know the answer”

“Of course I know but I won’t tell you. Look it up somewhere, or simply study, at least once. That could help”

“I don’t care about clouds that much”

“You don’t care about anything at all then …”

“It’s just so tiring, learning and also having to retain all that information. I just can’t do it, I wasn’t made for that”

“Your parents must be planning on having another child then, with how everything is going; you are going to ruin their business when you take over”

“My father is more a figure than a CEO. He just makes my uncle do his job while he does practically nothing”

“I feel for your uncle, he must hate all of you”

“He really doesn’t, he loves taking care of the company”

“I could never do that”

“You won’t have to; you will simply live off your family’s wealth since you won’t take over the family business. Between us, you have the best luck; at least you won’t have to make public appearances or things like that. You can stay at home until the day you die and have the perfect life”

“Do you think I can be like my sister? You know, prove myself to them. That I am actually good for something”

“I will be very honest with you. I will believe it the day I know that you are passionate for something. But until that day comes, I recommend you don’t do anything rash. You know what happens when your father disowns his own kid”

“So … you are telling me that should I stay quiet? Live like the obedient and secluded son that I am”

“Of course not, but when your sister confronted your father she really knew what she wanted to be and that gave her all of the courage to keep going forward. If you don’t find a reason to leave the house, apart from feeling lonely and discriminated, you will only feel the same but in the streets. I really don’t want to see you out there without a place to go”

“Then … you won’t help me if I get disowned one day?”

“It’s very scary the power your father has over my family since they are business partners but I will do all I can. Just don’t do something without thinking it over, you are impulsive sometimes”

“I will keep that in mind …”

“Anyways, why are you so focused today? Is everything alright?”

“I have to figure out how to make the new guy sit at my table for dinner”

“Why?”

“I made a stupid promise to those girls, I shouldn’t have done that”

“It’s not very you to be out there making promises … is that all you have to do?”

“Yeah, I just can’t think of a way that doesn’t make me look creepy”

“Leave it to me, I am an expert in making people do what I want”

“Do you really say so?”

“Don’t worry I will bring out my big guns if I need to. This is like a walk in the park”

“As long as you really don’t bring out a real gun, then … ok, this is your mission. I entrust you my life with it”

“Commander, I won’t fail. I promise” Beomgyu told him while making a salute

Times like this were very entertaining to have with Beomgyu. It reminded him of when they were kids and played in Beomgyu’s room to be pirates, soldiers, knights and many more things. In most occasions, Mr. Puffles was the villain of the story thanks to Yeonjun’s request. Those were simpler days, Seline was still in the house, his brother talked and sometimes played with him and his parents’ marriage wasn’t as dark as it is right now. He doesn’t like to say it aloud because Beomgyu’s confidence will grow even more but he appreciates that he didn’t leave him after so many years passed.

Now that he could trust his crackhead friend with the Soobin situation, he could finally enjoy the day as he wanted. Beomgyu left moments later to join the others by the lake so he could hear the wind and the leaves moving without hearing his voice ranting nonstop. Once again, he was in his happy place.

* * *

It was time to go back to the camp, it wasn’t that late but the sky was turning to orange and you could see the tinted blue that was coming from the opposite side. On their way back, they encountered a very rusty cabin. This one was older than the other ones, there was more moss, the wood looked practically rotten, the windows were tainted black from the dirtiness it accumulated and the roof was missing tiles. It looked like the shack where the witch or the serial killer lived in horror movies; it clearly gave a spooky feeling about it.

“What is this place? It looks like no one has used it in years” Taehyun said. They both were curious about this cabin since they were the only ones that didn’t know about it

“I don’t even want to look at it” Seojun said

“It is the haunted cabin, no one likes getting near it. For obvious reasons” Kai said

“Is it really haunted or it’s just because how it looks?” Taehyun said

“I don’t really know. From time to time the lights turn on and off and sometimes the door is wide open and other times it is locked. No one knows what really goes on in there”

“Can we stay to see if it turns on? Maybe someone can see if it’s locked” Taehyun said completely curious

“I am going to follow what horror movies taught me. I will leave you guys if you decide to stay here and look for trouble, I don’t want to get involved in this” Seojun said

“You know … the first one that separates from the group is the first one to die. Even if he runs away from danger” Kai smirked

“Stop it, I don’t want any-“

Seojun couldn’t finish his sentence; he stopped midway to scream as loud as he could. The lights of the cabin had turned on, and some sparks came from the wires that connected it to the main source of energy. At this, everyone ran for their lives through the woods, even Taehyun who was the bravest of them all. What took them almost half an hour to walk this morning they reduced it to a couple of minutes. All of them were out of breath when they arrived to the green fields of the campsite. Soobin still had the effects of adrenaline working in his body. His heart was beating quickly and he remained cautious if a monster or something like that was following them. He got distracted when Taehyun and some others started laughing uncontrollably. This calmed him a lot since he had never liked being spooked, he doesn’t watch scary movies for that same reason. He doesn’t want to experience one of course. After everyone calmed down, they made jokes about everyone’s reaction and how fast they ran. He was feeling stinky from the water of the lake that didn’t dry completely and from the sweat he got from running. They separated to get ready and to get together by dinner. Soobin was starving right now; he was looking forward to dinner.

* * *

Ok … maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all. Yeonjun is worried that his friend will mess this up and make it even worse. He is seating besides Tina and Hyewon waiting for Soobin to enter the dining room. Those two have an excited expression, they are giggling and whispering to each other while Yeonjun is making worried gestures to Beomgyu tables afar. It doesn’t make it better that Beomgyu seems confident about his charisma since he has seen how extra and out of line he can be. Why did he entrust him with this? He had set a time bomb, and it is going to explode right into his face.

Then he arrived. Soobin still had his hair wet and dripping, the only thing that was missing was a slow-mo of him shaking his hair and flipping it backwards with a trumpet playing in the back. He could see why many of the girls were into him. He and his friends went to get their dinner; he didn’t have time to spare. Either he was going ahead of Beomgyu or he will let him handle the situation. He made up his mind, he was going to do it. But Beomgyu was faster and he was already talking to them. It seemed as if one guy was annoyed of Beomgyu’s presence, finally someone that understood him.

As normal, Beomgyu was over the top and loud, he always was the center of the attention. He could already notice he was bringing out some of his techniques, like putting an arm over the shoulder of someone, smiling a lot, making jokes, all of that stuff that close friends did. He mastered the saying ’fake it till you make it’ and it shows. But he couldn’t understand how all of this would play out in the end. But now he understood, their table didn’t have spare seats like many other do, if Beomgyu sat with them then someone had to leave the table, there was simply no way someone else could fit in there. They were collapsing the table with the amount people there was; it can’t handle one more person. Beomgyu wasn’t book-smart but if there was something he wanted, he worked hard for it. Not only did he sat with them, he took Soobin’s seat. There was a brief awkward moment between them but the plan was going smooth, at least that’s what he could tell, he had no idea of what was going on. Then Beomgyu pointed in their direction and Soobin looked to their table. Yeonjun looked somewhere else to avoid suspicion and told the fan girls to act normal from then on. He didn’t have to look straight at Soobin to notice that he was approaching their table. Today they sat in a bigger table so that Yeonjun didn’t have to leave like days before. Everything was carefully calculated.

“Hi, sorry to disturb you again but … can I seat here?” He asked them

“Yeah of course Soobin. Did something happen?” Hyewon said as if they were close friends

“Thank you. My table got a little full today”

“You see, I told you, your friends aren’t good people. Just like the zodiac said before” Tina added to the conversation. Yeonjun almost spit his food when he coughed at this remark

“Zodiac? What are you talking about?” Yeonjun asked her

“That day he sat with us we gave him a reading in his zodiac and it said that this would happen”

“Is that how you waste your time daily? You also shouldn’t say so rude things of others. Have you said something behind my back too?” He was a little angry at them. That day he went to bed starving because they wanted to make some zodiac readings!?

“Don’t worry, I am sure she didn’t mean it like that” Soobin said

“Hehe don’t mind her, she is brainless. She can be like that sometimes” Hyewon said

“It’s ok I have a friend like that too. Now that I remember, I think I didn’t give you back your medicine. Tomorrow I will bring it to you, there is some left” Soobin said to Tina

“I thought you gave it to Yeonjun …” Tina said back

“I don’t understand …”

Well, everything came back to a circle. That first night Yeonjun asked Tina for some medicine because he wanted them to gossip about him. They must have thought that he really asked Soobin for the medicine he didn’t need.

“He told us he was feeling sick and asked us for some medicine but you had it at that time so we told him to ask you for some” Hyewon said

“Really? I can’t remember feeling sick” Yeonjun lied

“Yeah, the morning after, you had that big headache and devoured the whole place down remember?” Tina said

“I also had a headache and ate a lot that day” Soobin said a little embarrassed about it

“Maybe you two caught the same thing that day”

“Anyways that happened a long time ago” Yeonjun avoided talking about that night since he spied and interrupted Soobin and Misoo in their romantic date. He needed to focus the conversation elsewhere “Tina tell me about that rash that you said you had, did you get it treated?”

“What! I don’t have any rash at all! Where did you get that?” Tina said mortified

“Don’t worry friend it happens sometimes. There is nothing to be ashamed of” Hyewon added. He had forgotten that they were battling to get Soobin so they would take any chance of an advantage over the other

“I have never had a rash in my life! What are you saying!?”

“Soobin I am so sorry. She gets a little agitated in front of new people” Hyewon said to Soobin

“Don’t worry Tina … really. Rashes are very normal believe me, my grandfather has them a lot”

“Am I an old person?” Tina said very low, completely heartbroken and hopeless

“You know, most rashes are because of allergies not because you are nasty or anything like that. If you look at it the best way possible … it says that your skin is very delicate. A lot of people say that delicate skins people are the prettiest” Soobin was fully improvising right now

“Do you mean it?” Tina asked him

“Yeah … of course” Out of those three forcefully said words the only thing Tina could hear was ’Yes, you are pretty of course’ she blushed for most of dinner because of this

“Why does your grandfather get so much rashes?” Hyewon said to get some attention from Soobin

“He manages a restaurant. He is allergic to peanut and some of the meals require peanut oil. He sometimes get splashed by it and that’s how he gets them”

“I didn’t know that. Where is that restaurant maybe I could go one day”

“I would also want to come” Tina intruded the conversation

“Well … yeah if you really want to …”

The conversation went better than he thought it would. Yeonjun only had to speak whenever zodiac signs and other things like that surged up. It was clear that they were bombing him with so much information of it, so he only spoke to change the topic. Soobin adapted rather quickly to talking to the parrots, he must know a lot of loud people then. Maybe one day he can ask him for advice of how to manage Beomgyu. Before he knew it, the dining room was closing and they were the last ones in it.

“This is my first time staying this late, is it always like this?” Soobin asked

“Every day is the same thing, it gets really peaceful doesn’t it?” Tina said

“Yeah, I really like it”

“We stay here the most we can. But we have to leave … it’s almost time to be inside”

“I guess this is it. It was nice talking to you again, maybe some other time you can sit with us” Hyewon said to him

“Yeah, maybe I will” It didn’t seem as forceful as before, maybe he really enjoyed their company

Yeonjun hadn’t planned this far in the night. He had forgotten that they stayed out late. Most of the nights he walked to the cabin all alone, but tonight he needs to go with Soobin because they are the last ones out here.

They finished their conversation and each pair took a different path to their respective cabins. This will be either the most awkward conversation or the most silent one he has had in the entire trip. He just wanted to get back as fast as possible, but Soobin talked first.

“You know, you should have asked me for the medicine if you really needed it. I am sorry if I made you feel awkward the first night when I introduced myself. That may be why you didn’t ask for it. Next time tell me without thinking it twice. Or if you need anything … I can see what I can do” Soobin said. It pained him a little receiving so much courtesy from someone he barely knows, it doesn’t feel right. More because he is offering his help when he really didn’t need it and because he blames himself for things he didn’t do

“You shouldn’t offer your help so easily, many people may take advantage of it” He said back coldly, even colder than how he spoke to the pig. It surely worked as a chat killer; he didn’t mean to say it that way “Sorry for that, I may say things rudely. I can’t control the tone of how I speak that well”

“I understand, don’t worry. You seem to not talk to many people. I can distance myself if you don’t want to talk or anything. That’s something I have come to do very recently. Where I come from everyone is very sociable and many people here aren’t so it’s something I have come to accept”

“Your company doesn’t bother me. I have distanced myself from so many people that when I talk to them I can’t really do it properly”

“One time when I was a kid I entered the kitchen and wanted to see what my grandfather was cooking. I couldn’t see what was inside the pot since I was so little, so I tried to bring it down. I didn’t know that it was full of peanut oil and I accidentally spilled it all in my grandfather’s right leg. Thankfully, it wasn’t hot so it didn’t burn him but he needed to stay in the hospital for four days because of his allergy reaction. My grandfather doesn’t get rashes at all since that incident. From that day on, he made sure to cover all of his body when he worked with it, even in the hottest days”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Since you shared something personal, I felt the need to say one back. Also, because I remembered that accident with the conversation we had. I still feel scared of entering the kitchen when my grandfather is inside. I can’t seem to forgive myself for that, even if it didn’t leave scars and my grandfather told me he was fine”

Yeonjun didn’t have words to say back to Soobin. Maybe if he had more experience talking about this stuff, if he knew how it was to confide in someone else or if someone ever had the trust to say these types of things to him he could in some other way know how to reassure him or do something about it. But he didn’t, all of these years living for himself and nobody else made him incapable of doing something at all. He has never felt regret of his decision of distancing himself … until now.

“I really don’t know what to say …”

“It’s ok. I didn’t expect something in return”

When Soobin finished saying this, Yeonjun felt the same thing he experienced the night he interrupted the kiss. That rush of unspeakable feeling. It was hard to explain. It was like a rush of adrenaline but not really. It made him feel dizzy for a second, but right after, everything returned to normal. He felt nothing at all; it was, as it never happened.

They arrived at the cabin before one counselor spot them. They were still on time but they didn’t want any trouble. When they got in all of their roommates where in their bed looking through their phone. Today they weren’t being loud at all; maybe everyone is tired from what they did today. It worked for him, he wanted to go to sleep as soon as he could. He changed his clothes and looked through his phone before he went to bed. Nothing out of normal, no notifications. With that, Yeonjun went to sleep; dinner wasn’t as bad as he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I know I said I would make chapters shorter and that they would cover more than one day but I don’t know what happens to me. When I start writing, more ideas come up and I have to include them. I hope you are enjoying the story so far, thank you for reading and for your support! See you! <3


	15. Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I recently created a Twitter account so we can interact with each other, my username is @kenthedoggo so make sure to follow me! Let's be friends! <3

Soobin was having a nice dream, he can’t remember what he was dreaming of but he knew it was a good dream. He got disturbed when the alarm went off by seven. It was Monday once again. He wishes Sunday could repeat itself, it was one of the most pleasant days he has had in the camp. He and the others did nothing at all. The most exhausting part was waking up to go sit by the lounging chairs and the walks to the dining room when they had to eat. He can’t remember yesterday clearly, because he slept through the whole day. Thankfully, his chair was under some trees so he didn’t get sunburned as some of the others did. There was only one thing he would change about yesterday. By the time that dinner was being served, they had the idea of having a race to the dining room, the last one to get there had to give out their dessert. It was dark and he could barely see the grass under him, in case there was a trunk or something to trip on he wouldn’t know what it was until he fell flat on his face. He wasn’t the one with such misfortune, it was Taehyun. He didn’t fall on his face but he didn’t see that there was a root in front of him and he ended up twisting his ankle badly.

Soobin stopped and turned around to help him out while the others thought he had simply fell. Soobin is experienced in identifying screams in need of help. Every time his grandmother cooked without glasses she always ended up cutting at least one finger. But he can discern in which cases she is joking and when not, because she jokes him around with such accidents sometimes. When he was a kid he always fell for it and his grandma made fun of him, but now he only helps her when he can hear that uniqueness in her screams, he hasn’t fell for that prank in years. He developed a lie detector when it came to be of pranks.

He could see the face of agony his friend had, but it made it difficult not to laugh at his fall because even when Taehyun was almost at the brink of tears he was also laughing aloud because of how funny the situation was. He helped Taehyun standing up and put his arm over his shoulder so he could have support when he jumped in his other leg. He tried to set it on the floor but he couldn’t bear the pain. They made a turn before going to the dining room and went to the infirmary instead. The nurse was still there and got surprised when he saw how swollen Taehyun’s ankle was, it didn’t look good. She bandaged him and applied some type of anesthetic over his ankle. She informed them that it was probably going to develop a bruise and that he couldn’t be able to participate in the next activities until he could walk without problem. It would take some days to recover but it was better to sit out than to make it worse. She lent Taehyun some crutches and then they returned to the dining room. Everyone got surprised when Taehyun’s fall wasn’t a bluff and apologized to him; they also offered him their desserts as an apology. He gladly took it, he wasn’t going to since he wasn’t mad but it would have been disrespectful to decline their offer.

When he finished eating, he glanced to the table where Yeonjun and the other two girls were sitting. He would feel bad if he left without telling them that he wouldn’t be able to stay out late with them because he wanted to help Taehyun get to his cabin safely. Taehyun wasn’t a little kid that needed help but his parents raised him in the way that when someone needed help he should reach out to them. He also didn’t have to explain to Yeonjun and the girls that he wouldn’t be able to be with them but he still felt the obligation to explain himself; he hadn’t promised that he would be with them but in case they were expecting him to be there. So he looked and Yeonjun directly and put his palm to him so that they could wait for him a little while longer. He still wanted to spend some time with them but he needed to help Taehyun first. Yeonjun nodded to him saying that he understood and that they would wait.

Taehyun was a pain in the … but he then accepted his offer; it was easier to give up instead of fighting back. Even with crunches, they took quite some time to get to his cabin since the terrain was irregular and the path was difficult to follow thanks to how dark it was. For some reason the lamps were not giving as much light as before, maybe a problem with the generator or something else caused it. When they arrived, Soobin said goodbye as quickly as he could and left running back to the dining room. It was in fact very late, he hopes they are still there talking. He was getting closer to the main cabin but saw someone walking in his direction, it was Yeonjun. He was gasping for air when he stopped in front of him, he was late and couldn’t get there in time.

“Are you ok? You seem agitated” Yeonjun asked him

“I’m sorry, couldn’t get there in time” He said back

“You had things to do, the others also understood … is everything ok?”

“I’m fine thanks”

“I’m not asking about you. Tina wanted to know if your friend is ok”

“Oh, yeah … he is fine. He just twisted his ankle” Soobin said, embarrassed of his first answer. They starting walking together to their cabin

“You … seem happy” He said to break the ice

“Yeah, I am”

Soobin knew he didn’t have to forcefully stretch the conversation since that would make them both awkward, but he was satisfied with how much they talked. It wasn’t that much but two things made it special. One, he was the one to start the conversation and two, just the fact that he was happy tonight was enough. He didn’t want to ruin what was left of the day by any chance so they silently walked to their cabin.

* * *

Yeonjun sat on the same table, as always, he hadn’t fully taken his seat when the two parrots started screaming at him in look for answers of what had happened the day before. Once again, he wished those two had a turn off button; so that he could eat at least once eat in peace.

“What happened is he alright? Or is it only his friend?” Hyewon and Tina asked at the same time

“He is ok, his friend twisted an ankle. He just wanted to help him out. That’s it, I don’t know anything else” He answered. He looked at them and saw hearts in their eyes. His feelings towards their fan-girling was changing; instead of being funny, it was starting to annoy him. It wasn’t as fun now that he wasn’t lurking in the shadows. Now he was the contact that gave them the information, it wasn’t fun. Morning wasn’t going as good as he wanted but it wasn’t as bad, right? But no, it was getting worse because Beomgyu decided to sit with them. One thing was two parrots, but three … that is a bit much.

“What are we talking about? Let me join” Beomgyu said to them

“The new guy …” Yeonjun said completely done with his life

“He is so nice; I bet he could be the next Pope if he wanted” Tina said

“I bet charity is in his blood” Hyewon said

“Of course charity is in his blood” Beomgyu reassured them. Just what Yeonjun needed, another fan into the mix

“You think so too?” Tina screeched

“Of course, without it he wouldn’t be here” Beomgyu said unaware of the weight of his words. No one messed with Soobin in front of Tina and Hyewon. Yeonjun had seen what fan girls would do if their crush was insulted in front of them, but Beomgyu didn’t know, he was done.

Yeonjun saw the eyes of the girls fill with hate, he couldn’t believe a nice soul as Tina could ever be the vessel to the devil himself or whatever that had possessed her. He expected it from Hyewon but not from Tina. He saw in slow motion how they both grabbed their glasses and prepared to pour it into Beomgyu’s face. He reacted quickly and none of the juice fell on him when Beomgyu got splashed with orange and grape juice. He could hear a gasp from his friend as if he didn’t expect this to happen, but the girls weren’t over. They grabbed his glass and Beomgyu’s and also poured it on him. This was a massacre both for Beomgyu and for those juices that did nothing to deserve being wasted. But Tina went farther, it must have been fate or the universe but earlier one of the cooking staff served Yeonjun oatmeal without him asking. He didn’t give it back since she appeared to be angry and having a bad day so he just moved on with it. He planned to return it later or to offer it to them; however, Tina took it and threw it all into his face.

“I think … I deserved that” Beomgyu said

“You can’t say things like that in front of them, they will get mad” Yeonjun whispered to him

“Thank you for telling me” Beomgyu said sarcastically

“I think you need to take a shower”

“Yeah … see you later” Beomgyu said. He then left the dining room and went to his cabin

Beomgyu learned a valuable lesson that morning. Never make mad a fan girl, she will fight back.

* * *

“Today you will be working in pairs but your partner has to be of the opposite sex. You are free to choose whoever you want. Those who end up without a pair come to me and we will arrange it. Now look for your partner” One counselor said

“Soobin, are you going with one of those crazy girls? Did you see what they did to Beomgyu this morning?” He heard Kai ask him concerned for his friend well-being

“I was hoping for another person …” He said while he looked around in search of a certain someone

“Do I know who that is?” Kai said while he teased him

“Anyways, I think I see her, see you” Soobin left Kai and went in the direction he thought he had seen her

“Are you looking for me?” He heard besides him. It was Misoo, she looked beautiful today, it was as if the sun was her best friend. Everything about her was beaming, her smile, skin, eyes, everything.

“I was …” Soobin said

“You don’t seem very convinced” Misoo teased him. Why did everyone tease him when they had the chance?”

“Will you be my partner? Does this convince you?” He said bluntly

“Someone is confident today … I like it. And, yes. I will be glad to be”

“Great” Soobin said with a big smile in his face

Today they had to travel to different stations around the camp while their ankles tied them up. There were eight in total and in each one of them was a counselor with a hosepipe that soaked them completely if they didn’t know the answer to the question they were asked. It was kind of another race since the first couple to finish it wins but today he is willing to lose as long as he could spend more time with Misoo. They only met late at night or in the morning, so being with each other around lunch was something they barely did.

At the beginning of the activity, many couples fell and argued with each other, but they decided to take it slow until they figured out a rhythm. This was a good idea since they were not so far begin to the first couples. The first one was simple; know your partner’s name. They passed with flying colors but the counselor still drenched them since it was fun. They tried to move in a constant pace but their laughter made it difficult to move that fast. Even if there was nothing funny happening, they couldn’t stop laughing of each other. Some couples passed them but it didn’t matter at all.

The rest of the activity consisted in the same pattern, they arrived at the station, Misoo answered most of the questions since they were about the camp and Soobin barely knew about it, they ran to the other station while laughing and repeat. It was truly fun for the at least. They didn’t end up winning any price but they ended up above average. That meant something right? As he looked around, he could see many displeased faces, apparently while they had an amazing time many others fought with their partner.

He could see Seojun fighting with another girl by the other side of the field. They had they clothes dirty and messy, that must be what went wrong. In the distance he could see a group of three people tied together, he recognized them all. It was Yeonjun with the other two by his side; he looked completely uninterested in the results while the other two were on the floor untying the laces. By the look of it, they must not have done well since Tina and Hyewon appeared to be at the brink of tears. He waved his hand to them at the distance and the girls waved back. He had to talk to them later about what happened in the morning, he didn’t expect them to burst out on Beomgyu that way. Then, something took his attention.

“Soobin, there is still some time until lunch but … would you like to eat with me? For today?” Misoo asked him

“Y- Yeah, that would be great. We might need to look for another table since mine is full but yeah let’s do it” Soobin said

“Then, see you by lunch. I had a great time today”

“Me too, see you then”

* * *

Yeonjun has had enough of these parrots, not only did they made him run, they also moved out of the way when the counselor drenched them. In the end, he was the most drenched out of the three, because he was in the middle and couldn’t dodge anything that was thrown at him. He hated getting wet in clothes that weren’t meant to get wet. He couldn’t wait to go get change but the other two couldn’t seem to get them out of the laces their counselor did. He was about to head to his cabin with or without the fan girls by his side, he needed to get out of these clothes. Thankfully, Tina finished hers and helped Hyewon with the other lace before he lost his patience. Now that he was free, he could be able to leave those crazy girls behind, until lunch.

He made sure to be the first one to arrive to the cabin, he needed to shower once again and take out more clean clothes. He entered the shower and cleaned himself of the dirty water and the mud mixed with grass that he fell into when Hyewon or Tina moved out of timing. Now that he was clean, he got dressed and returned to the living room. He waited until lunch started. There was plenty of time left but he could wait, he wasn’t feeling hungry by the time.

Time passed and the other roommates also got ready for lunch. Yeonjun thanks god that in this cabin everyone is decent enough to take a shower after such activity. Years before there were roommates who didn’t shower after getting dirty, which made Yeonjun sick to his stomach. He didn’t have OCD or needed everything to be squeaky clean but he expected people to maintain their hygiene.

“Seojun, umm … I won’t eat lunch with you guys this time” Yeonjun heard in the other room

“Oh, are you going to eat with Yeonjun and those girls? Don’t worry” It pleased Yeonjun a little hearing that, for some reason

“No, not this time …” Then with whom?

“Well, I am going to eat with Misoo. But just for today”

“Hey! Let’s go! Are you excited?”

“Don’t make that big of a deal, it’s just lunch. We just had a great time in the activity and wanted to talk for a bit longer” Yeonjun was listening attentively to their conversation

“I am sure the others would be glad to hear that, don’t worry”

“You should help Taehyun since I won’t be there”

“He is fine, you are just babying him. I am sure he can get there just fine with his crunches”

“Ok, ok fine”

He went to the main cabin to sit on the table while he waited for the parrots to arrive. Even though he couldn’t take more noise coming from their mouths, he wanted to see their reactions when they saw Soobin sitting with Misoo. If he felt just a bit bumped out that he wouldn’t sit with them, he couldn’t wait to see the other’s reaction.

When Tina and Hyewon sat with him, they didn’t talk to him. They only spoke to each other, apparently, they got mad that he yelled a little to them because of how useless they were but anyways this wasn’t the time to be angry at him. He waited for a couple of minutes until he saw Soobin and Misoo going together to a table. Then he caught their attention by whispering at them and pointed with his eyes so the two could see what was going on.

“So what? Nothing new” Hyewon said completely uninterested

“Did you give up on him?” He asked surprised

“Yeah, after what happened today who would like to be with one of us. Also, they look good together; he wouldn’t look good with us. It’s like mixing chocolate with anchovies. It just doesn’t go together”

“But anchovies never goes with anything” He admits

“Exactly, I am the anchovies and he is the chocolate. We were never destined to be together”

“It hurts less to give up” Tina said

“Well … I see. Then there is no need for him to sit with us? I can tell him to sit elsewhere right?” He asked

“Do as you wish, we have already made you do so much things you didn’t want to do. Do whatever you like” Yeonjun turned back to look at Soobin’s table

“He looks very happy sitting with Misoo, he is smiling a lot” He admitted

“Sometimes is best to let them go” Hyewon said

“Another one to the list” Tina said not even taking a bite out of her lunch

“It had to end someday. It just came earlier this time” Hyewon admitted

“How many guys are exactly in that list?” Yeonjun asked curious to know

“More than you can imagine, but he was the closest we have been to making it. This was our only chance, and now it’s gone”

The other two remained in a depressed state for the rest of lunch while Yeonjun took glances to Soobin and Misoo. They really seemed to be a couple.

* * *

After lunch Soobin decided to spend a little more time with Misoo, they had the rest of the day free and none of them had places to be so … why not? They walked around the border of the lake while they talked about things of themselves. Nothing out of the ordinary, there were still things that they didn’t know about each other so they asked one question and both of them had to answer it.

“What is your favorite animal?” She asked

“I like raccoons, they are very cute” He said

“Mine are dolphins. When I went to a cruise, we encountered a family of them. I fell in love with them from that moment on”

“What is your favorite flower?” He asked

“I like roses”

“I don’t know the name of it but I think any flower that is blue is my favorite”

“Is blue your favorite color?”

“I like blue but yellow is my second favorite”

“Mine is red, but I also like green”

“Just like a rose”

“You could say that”

“What do you want to study?”

“Something that can change the world. Put an end to hunger, world peace, something along those lines. You?”

“I still don’t know what I want for my future. Most of the time I plan ahead for most of the things in my life, but when it comes to my future I like it better to live the present”

“I see …”

“Are you scared of something?”

“I don’t like scary movies at all; I am a complete coward when it comes to those”

“I don’t like them either, but I hate spiders. Especially those big furry ones, just thinking about it makes me feel odd”

They continued talking until the sun went down without them knowing. They had made their way back when they noticed they were going a little too far so when they got back they still had some time to be together. He took her to her cabin out of courtesy; he also wanted to spend more time with her if he could. But time went by and it was the moment to say goodbye.

“I guess this is it. See you tomorrow” Misoo said right in front of the door of her cabin

“Yeah … see you tomorrow” He said and she entered her cabin

“Soobin wait” He turned around and saw her walking down the stairs of her porch. She got close to him and kissed him in the cheek “Happy one week anniversary” Then Misoo ran into her cabin disappearing from Soobin’s view

It had passed one week now, seven days ago he met Misoo back at the bus. Maybe this was the reason she wanted to be with him to day. It didn’t matter now, because today was a day to remember. Even if it wasn’t as eventful as the others, Misoo made it especial. He couldn’t wait for next Monday, he won’t forget this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This chapter is a little slower than the others are and is definitely a filler but keep on reading to see what is next! Thank you for reading and for the support see you! <3


	16. Salty

“Hey are you ready? We are running a bit late” Soobin asked Seojun

“Give me five seconds. Breakfast won’t go anywhere” His friend said through the door

“Ok, fine. Just so you know we are the last two to leave the cabin. I could have left without you but here I am”

“What would I do without you?” Seojun opened the door. He still had his hair wet and his shirt still not completely down. He wanted to shower before breakfast so that way he didn’t have to wait in line when he came back to the cabin. It was a smart move, but Soobin never had a problem with waiting so it didn’t matter. “Let’s go I will give you whatever you want from my food”

“Whatever let’s go” Soobin said. Seconds later, they were walking through the path to get to the main cabin. Now that a week has passed, Soobin has grown fond of this place. He can go wherever he wanted without looking at the signs.

“Today it seems cloudy, let’s hope it doesn’t rain” Seojun said to him

“If it ends up raining all this effort you did would have been for nothing. We may even go to the lake for the activity and you will have to shower later anyways”

“You are right; I guess I didn’t think this through. Sorry, now we have less time to eat”

“It doesn’t matter, I am not feeling that hungry today”

“Are you sure? You didn’t even eat dinner last night”

“Oh yeah … time went by really fast. I didn’t even notice that, now that you mention it” Soobin had forgotten that neither he nor Misoo ate dinner because of their walk yesterday. He wasn’t feeling hungry after missing one meal and after a full night of sleep

“You know … I didn’t ask you since I went to bed early yesterday and because I didn’t want to be nosy but … How did it go with Misoo?” He said it not in a teasing tone like he did before; it was like he really cared about it. Not that he didn’t care before but you can tell the change in his tone

“We didn’t kiss if that’s what you are asking. We really enjoy each other’s company … I think that’s what it is”

“I see … so everything good?” Seojun couldn’t filter his emotions. You could really tell that he expected something to happen

“Yeah, everything’s fine … she just kissed me in the cheek goodbye”

“Are you kidding? Soobin! You grow so fast!”

“What are you talking about? Are you a kid or something?”

“This is Misoo we are talking about!”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t make that big of a deal, and don’t tell the others. You are just a bunch of hormonal teenagers”

“Good eyes you got because guess what … that’s what we are”

“Amazing, just great”

“I am just so happy for you” Seojun said while he squished both of his cheeks

“Seojun …” Soobin said while trying to get his hands of his face

“Fine, fine, I’ll drop it. Race to the cabin?” His friend said with a smirk in his face

“See you at the table!”

* * *

Ever since last night, both of the parrots have been very quiet, well … more exactly since lunch. Now that neither Soobin nor Misoo were at their tables last night it just confirmed to them that there was no chance for them to be with him. This must be like mourning to them, you know, they were saying goodbye to their ultimate crush. Occasionally he could hear sighs and little whimpers coming out of the fan girls. Damn … they really must be hurting. He even noticed that neither of them were eating or even talking to one another, this is a really special occasion. Any other day he would have taken this silence as a miracle sent from god himself but right now, he could only feel ashamed of this situation. They really are heartbroken from a relationship that they never had, it was truly toxic.

“Not feeling good today?” He asked them

“I am just so empty” Tina said

“I feel like doing nothing today” Hyewon said

“You know … you were very optimistic yesterday. Where did all of that energy go?”

“Did you really believe in everything we said?” Hyewon asked him

“We were just lying to ourselves. Holding on to our last hope which was dinner … but he didn’t even come” Tina said placing her head over the table

“So it was all a lie?” Yeonjun said completely lost

“You can’t tell me that you didn’t notice that we had make up and came well dressed to dinner”

“We looked like clowns, I bet everyone is making fun of us”

“I really couldn’t tell” Yeonjun admitted

“We stayed by the living room until Misoo arrived just to see how she was doing”

“I was hoping she would be sad and that her makeup was falling down because of her tears just like ours but no”

“What happened then?” He asked them both

“She entered the cabin with a huge smile on her face but right before she closed the door she went out again”

“We saw how she went and kissed him … right in front of our faces”

“Wait! They kissed?” Yeonjun got agitated by this

“It was out of a Disney Princess Movie. Her hair moved in slow-motion, she left trails of glitter when she ran and in the other side there was a prince in shining armor”

“I could even smell her shampoo from inside the cabin”

“B- But they kissed?” He asked once again in a high tone

“She is so lucky. Can you imagine your lips touching him?”

“And the smile he had right after they separated. I am so jealous”

“God dammit! Just answer the question!” He said loudly

“Yes! Do you want me spell it out for you!” Hyewon screamed at him

“You are supposed to make us feel better!” Tina said holding her tears back

Seconds after he saw Soobin and one of his friends enter the dining room laughing at full volume. They were teasing and pushing each other as if they were close friends, more like … friends since birth. He could see that the chemistry that he had with that other guy was to be envied. In just a couple of days, Soobin had achieved with a stranger what took years for him to achieve with Beomgyu. Beomgyu is his only friend; in fact, he has been his only friend since childhood. Not only he could see that Soobin gained that type of friendship with this guy, but with many more people.

Yeonjun couldn’t understand what had gone wrong with his plan. It was ok a couple of seconds ago to be the outcast of the group, to only have one friend, to stay away from other people’s life, but ever since this trip began he has gained another perspective of it.

Now he is confused as to why he is feeling this way. Is it because he is better at making friends and socializing with other people? Or is it because of another reason?

* * *

“Are you done eating? I can accompany you to the infirmary if you are” Soobin asked Taehyun

“I’m done but you don’t have to come with me”

“Hey, I don’t mind. After all, I am always the last one to get ready at the cabin so I can get there later than the others”

“I guess you have never seen the lightning showers he takes. I thought he was brushing his teeth but he was taking a full on shower” Seojun said

“Do you really clean all of your body in such a short time?” One guy asked

“He comes out squeaky clean I promise. I even thought we had a fragrance in the cabin but it was Soobin coming out of the shower. He is like one of those magic soaps you see in commercials”

“Don’t you ever underestimate the power of lightning showers, I know the feeling” Kai said

“Anyways, let’s go” Soobin said to Taehyun. He was glad to be leaving that conversation behind

He went with Taehyun to see how his injury had progressed. After taking the bandages off, they could see that the inflammation had went down and that he developed a bruise just like the nurse had said. She told them that it was progressing just fine and that he should keep rest for a couple of more days. Taehyun tried to walk without the crutches to see if he could do it but he couldn’t sustain all of his weight on the ankle so he still had to keep using the crutches. Once again, she repeated the treatment she did before and let them go.

“Seems like you will be out for more days”

“Yeah, it kind of sucks but at least I don’t have to sweat or anything like that”

“That’s a good way to see things”

“Always moving forward”

“Do your parents know about it?”

“I told the nurse not to call them just because of this. I will be fine when I go back. Knowing my mom she would come here in an instant, I don’t want to bother her”

“My grandmother would be the same, but instead of taking me to the hospital like normal people do, she will apply some herbs and do some kind of ritual for me to get better”

“That seems … fun”

“I don’t know what kind of dark magic she does but in the end it helps”

“I may pay her a visit next time I get hurt”

“Ok, see you next month then”

“Knowing my luck it may happen earlier than that”

“I’ll wait for that day to come”

* * *

Yeonjun got to the cabin before any of his roommates did as any other morning. It was a custom for him to arrive earlier than the others so that he could take the shower before any other did. Today, his mind was feeling cloudier than normal; something about today made him feel different and he didn’t like it. He really didn’t like feeling out of place or not be able to control his emotions or thoughts but today they were all scrambled and doing whatever they wanted.

He got ready as fast as he could and went to Beomgyu’s cabin to wait for him. No matter the activity that was going on today, he will make sure to do it with Beomgyu. He was his emergency parrot, he distracted him and kept him company when he needed it. Today was one of those situations that he needed him.

He waited for him for what seemed to be hours. He knew Beomgyu took time in the shower but he didn’t know that the drought of the oceans was because of his friend. He finally got out with his goofy smile and shining aura around him. Beomgyu always looks so oblivious and innocent; it hurts him to know that someday he will run a company and will be responsible of the lives of so many people. Hopefully, he will change in the future.

“That water bill will come high this month. I am so sorry for the people who own this park” Yeonjun said to Beomgyu

“It’s all your friends’ fault. I can still feel pieces of oatmeal stuck in my head. I may shower three times more today”

“It wasn’t that bad. I am sure the orange juice helped it not to stick to your hair”

“Ha ha, so funny. Why do you still sit with them? I thought it was going to be a one-time thing”

“I guess I’ll sit there until the trip is over. You know I am not that fond of your friends”

“You are still sitting with me on the way back right? You won’t go and sit with one of them, right?” Beomgyu asked

“What do you mean?” Yeonjun said

“Well this Sunday of course. I am getting bored of staying here; I won’t make it for another week”

“Are you leaving early?”

“Are you not? We always leave on the second week”

“I guess you are right … Yeah sure, I’ll go back with you”

“Did you want to stay here for another week?” Beomgyu asked curiously

“I just forgot about it”

“If you say so”

“Let’s go, people must be waiting for us to begin”

Today they were doing the activity Yeonjun hated the most, but not really. This afternoon they were fishing while riding kayaks in pairs. He hated fishing with all of his gut. He hated the smell of fish, and squirmed at the visual of a fish with a hook on its mouth, it just seems really painful in his opinion. But he really liked the idea of riding a kayak and doing absolutely nothing in the middle of the lake.

He made sure to be paired with Beomgyu and not with anyone else. Beomgyu came handy in these type of cases because even if he was a mama’s boy, he liked getting dirty and doing these activities. His parrot became his loyal dog whenever he needed that roll to be taken. Now Yeonjun only had to help with the paddling and Beomgyu will take care of the fish. Today it wasn’t that much of a competition but more of a relaxing moment, Yeonjun enjoyed this very much. It wasn’t as sunny as he would have wanted but on the good side, today he won’t sweat or get dirty so he won’t need to shower after this. He got on the kayak with Beomgyu and paddled to the middle of the lake.

“Are you excited? Today we will catch some fishies” Beomgyu said

“Woohoo, you can do it” Yeonjun said without excitement

“I know you don’t like fishing so leave it all to me”

“I will, I trust you”

Every now and then, he could hear Beomgyu cheer out of happiness when he caught a fish and screamed to him to look at what he achieved. He reacts like it is his first catch ever because that makes his friend happy but if it was his decision he will be completely uninterested in it.

“I still don’t get why you get so excited about this. We have to set them free right after you catch them so we are practically doing this for nothing” Yeonjun said

“It’s about the experience. Look around you, you are the only one being pessimist”

He did what his friend told him to do, just out of boredom. At the distance, he saw the fan girls squirming about the little fish that they caught and the fight they were having. They must be deciding who will be the one to set it free; that’s one of the disadvantages of not having Beomgyu on your team. He also saw the kayak in which Soobin and that other guy from before were, they seemed to be struggling to take the fish out of the water.

“Hey look over there … that must be a big fish right?” Yeonjun asked Beomgyu

“I don’t think so. They are just struggling to take it out of the water because they don’t have these arms” Beomgyu said while making a pose that made Yeonjun cringe

Moments later, he saw a big fish connected to their fishing rod jump out of the water. They did end up catching a big fish. He could barely hear the laughs those two shared when they saw such a big tuna come out of the water. He turned around to see Beomgyu’s reaction to what just happened. He saw his friend completely discouraged because of what he had just seen.

“What happened Beomgyu? Did the new guy beat you in what you are best at?” One voice said, it was one of Beomgyu’s friend

“He thinks he is that perfect doesn’t he?” He looked to see who it was since his voice was familiar. It was the same old disgusting pig

“Aww man, this was my thing” Beomgyu said defeated

“Don’t worry, let’s look for another spot. There are many boats around here” Yeonjun reassured him. He wanted to get as far as he could from them

“Yeah, let’s go. I’ll help you out with your fishing” The guy that was in the same kayak with the pig said. They kept insisting to go with them so Yeonjun just gave up “Did you hear guys hear …” he continued

“What?” Beomgyu said while they paddled to another location

“People say that the new guy and Misoo went and fooled around on a cabin while everyone had dinner yesterday”

“What are you talking about?” The pig said

“Didn’t you know? Neither Misoo nor that guy were at dinner yesterday. The girls from her cabin said that she got in the cabin late at night and that she was smiling nonstop. She must have fallen in love with him” This made Yeonjun angry. Did Tina and Hyewon start spreading rumors because they couldn’t get Soobin?

“Are you kidding me?” The pig said in a strong voice “Did that guy continue with his fantasy to get Misoo? I guess someone has to put him right where he belongs”

“Don’t you think you are taking this way too far?” Beomgyu said “I know you wanted to be with her but-“

“But what? Are you taking his side now?”

“I am not taking no one’s side. I am just saying”

“Well nobody asked your opinion”

“Hey … stop it” Yeonjun said coldly “You barely know Misoo and the guy so don’t act like it is your place to get in their business”

“Yeonjun …” Beomgyu said in a low voice

“After all they are just rumors. Don’t get all worked up about it” Yeonjun said before he took his paddle and went to shore. He has had enough of the pig for today. Not only did the pig was bulking himself up, he now had to know if those rumors came from Tina and Hyewon. He will have to talk to them later.

* * *

“Did you see that? That was a whale!” Seojun said

“It wasn’t that big. I am sure I would have been able to catch a bigger one” Taehyun said to Seojun

“I am sorry you couldn’t do this one. I was almost sure you could do it” Soobin said

“Don’t worry about it. If the kayak turned I would have died because I can’t swim properly, it would have also hurt a lot to get me in it since it’s such a small space”

“We will do all of this next week so you can do it too” Soobin said

“That way I can prove you that I am the best” Seojun said

“Just wait a couple more days. I will destroy you”

“It’s on”

* * *

“You little filthy parrots. You had to ruin it all don’t you?” Yeonjun said straight forward when he sat at their table

“What’s wrong with you today? Did you fall out of bed this morning or what?” Hyewon said loudly

“His phone must have fallen in the toilet. That’s the only reason someone would be that mad” Tina said

“Look you parrots. I know what you did. If you couldn’t have him then no one could right? Shame on you”

“Did we drop his phone on the toilet?” Tina asked Hyewon

“I don’t think so-“

“Are you the ones spreading rumors about Misoo and Soobin?” Yeonjun asked out of frustration

“Which rumors? Do you know some?” Tina said

“Do tell please-“

“Don’t act dumb with me. You don’t know what you have done”

“I don’t know what you are talking about we haven’t done nothing at all” Hyewon said

“Have you gone … insane? Hyewon we must have broken him” Tina said concerned

“You aren’t the ones spreading rumors?” Yeonjun asked

“No I swear”

“So … you weren’t the ones that said Misoo and Soobin fooled around in a cabin?”

“What!? Of course not!” Tina said surprised

“Fooled around? They haven’t even kissed and now people think they have fooled around? Come on …” Hyewon said

“You said they kissed yesterday outside the cabin” Yeonjun said confused

“Yeah on the cheek. Did you really think they kissed?”

Out of nowhere, Yeonjun felt a weight out of his shoulders.

* * *

Soobin decided to stay in the lounging chair with Taehyun while the others swam around in the lake or took the kayaks for a little ride. He was once again on his duty of keeping company to his friend.

“You really don’t have to do this you know” Taehyun said

“Shh, I’m trying to sleep” Soobin said

“Just go and have some fun. You helped me with the nurse this morning I am sure I can be lonely for some quite a while”

“Even though I am here to keep you company, I have my reasons not to get in the water”

“Are you scared of it? I never knew”

“Let’s just say that the water is not very fond of me”

“Then … I am glad you are here. I don’t want you to drown or anything like that”

“See, now you are taking care of me and you don’t hear me complaining”

“Fine, fine, I’ll stop”

“Do you want something to drink? I am going to the main cabin to see if there’s something there. I am feeling thirty all of a sudden”

“Bring me the same as you”

“I’ll come back in a while”

Soobin went to the main cabin to see if there was something to drink. In the first day that he was here they told him they sometimes served snacks so who knows. Maybe today they will serve drinks instead, it was worth the risk. It took some time to get there since he had to walk through most of the cabins, not to mention that the main cabin was at the opposite side of where he was. Though after some time, he arrived. He looked around and nothing looked out of normal. There were some people sitting on the couches, playing card games and others were playing ping-pong or soccer table.

“Hey … Soobin is it?” He heard someone talk to him

“Oh yes, you are Beomgyu. Taehyun’s roommate”

“Yeah, I am. We never got to meet each other. Nice to meet you”

“Nice to meet you too” He didn’t feel weirded out by him, it’s just that he didn’t expect someone to talk to him here

“Are you looking for something?” Beomgyu asked

“I just wanted to know if there was something to drink here”

“Oh, yeah. There are drinks inside the dining room. You can come here any time you want, there is always something in there”

“Great thanks”

“I’ll see you then”

“Yeah, thank you again” With that, their short talk had ended but Soobin didn’t notice that this caught the attention of someone

He went inside the dining room, served himself orange juice, and took another cup to fill it up for Taehyun. He remembers that his friend likes the orange juice with a sprinkle of salt so he added just a little bit to it. In the first breakfast they had, Soobin gave him a little of his orange juice and he liked how it tasted with salt so from then on Taehyun also added salt to his orange juice.

“You must be Soobin …” He heard a voice say behind him

“Hi … yeah that’s me. I don’t think we have met” He could recognize the guy. If he didn’t, all of those sessions with Kai would have been for nothing. The guy standing in front of him was the one he should be the most careful about in this school.

“I’m Sangwook, one of Beomgyu’s friends”

“I see, nice to meet you”

“Look, don’t misunderstand me. I am not here to be your friend just like that jackass Beomgyu did. I will keep it short so listen carefully. Stay away from Misoo”

“What?”

“Are you stupid? Didn’t you understand what I said?”

“I did, I just don’t know why I should” Soobin knows he should’ve dropped it and just said yes as his friends advised him but he couldn’t do it.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you or do you want me to really show you why you should stay away from her?” He was approaching Soobin with threatening steps; he should drop it before anything happens

“I get it. Don’t worry about it” He finally said

“See … I knew you weren’t that stupid after all”

* * *

He was waiting outside the dining room for his friend. He was such a cool guy, he even offered him to serve him a drink. He still doesn’t understand why Yeonjun is still against his group of friends, they were all good friends. He was excited to play ping-pong with the others but decided to wait for his friend, also for his drink. Then he saw his friend come out.

“Hey what did you get?” He asked him

“Just orange juice, you can get something else if you want” His friend said back

“I don’t mind. I actually like orange juice a lot. Was Soobin still in there? He is so cool isn’t he?”

“Yeah … he is”

“What is this? It tastes super salty” Beomgyu said after tasting his drink

“I know right … the oranges must be salty this season” Sangwook said back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I am really happy of how this is turning out. I hope you are enjoying the story as much as I am. From here on, I think it is going to get a little more fast-paced and more plot centered but who knows I might get sidetracked as I always do … sorry for that hehe. Thank you for your support and for reading! See you! <3


	17. The Chase

“Attention! People I will need your complete focus on what I’m about to say. Right after you finish eating, wait for the rest of your roommates right on the exit of the cabin and leave together. There will be counselors in the path so we can make sure that all of you get to your respective cabins safely. Don’t even try leaving alone because we won’t let you, no excuses allowed. Be careful on your way back” One counselor said at the front of the dining room

A couple of hours earlier the weather changed drastically. It was cloudy earlier but nothing can compare to how dark it was outside thanks to the storm clouds gathered over their heads. Right now, this was more important than his little confrontation with Sangwook earlier. Soobin left his phone on the cabin and he was worried that his parents had tried to contact him but due to this, he was making them worry. His grandma must be so worried she might be packing her bags to come and save him, he will trust his grandpa on keeping her inside the house. After all, it took five hours to get to this camp; by the time they arrived the storm must have passed.

“This is such a drag … I guess we will just wait until tomorrow” Kai said

“Do you think you can get there without … dying?” Seojun asked Taehyun

“Maybe with a little encouragement. With friends like you who needs enemies” Taehyun said back

“Did you hear that? He said we are friends” Seojun said with a big smile to the rest of the table

“Look at you two making progress, I’m so proud. Maybe a hug to make it official” Kai said teasingly

“Don’t even-“ Taehyun said, he got interrupted by Seojun throwing himself all over him and hugging him with all of his strength. Taehyun looked more in pain than uncomfortable by this, maybe Seojun was hugging him way too strongly

“You are going to kill him, he is turning blue” Soobin said

“Kill him of love. I love you bud” Seojun said

“Bud?” Taehyun said with what was left of air in his lungs

“Anyway, I think we are all ready. I will go and check on the rest of our roommates to see if they are done too. You keep doing that if you want” Soobin said. He looked around and searched for the rest of his roommates. He didn’t know where they sat so it took a while to find them all. All of them were ready to go so he sent them to gather with Seojun while he went to Yeonjun’s table. He knows where he sits so it was better to leave him for last.

Yeonjun always sat with the same two girls, Tina and Hyewon. He thought they were weird the first time he met them. If he is being honest he still thinks so but it just a matter of getting to know them. After that first encounter, he no longer felt awkward being around them now that he could keep the conversation flowing. Now that he knows what type of people they are, he can understand them better. Just like with Yeonjun, he understood that he liked his personal space so he made sure not to be as invasive as he is able to be with Seojun, Kai or Taehyun now that they became very close friends. Maybe one day he can open up to others and experience that closeness of friendship with someone, but he completely understands that is not his place to force it.

“Hi, how are you guys?” Soobin asked to the table

“Soobin! Hi! We are just waiting for the others to finish” Tina said

“What are you doing here? Are you here to join us?” Hyewon asked

“I just came here to ask Yeonjun if he was ready …” He said

“Yeah, let’s go. See you” Yeonjun said to the two girls at the table

“Sorry, next time I’ll eat with you guys” Soobin said

“Don’t worry we understand, just don’t forget what you said” Hyewon said. The last part with a flirtatious tone added to it, must be nothing …

“Yeah sure, I won’t forget. Bye”

“You don’t know what you have just gotten yourself into” Yeonjun said to him as they were approaching the exit of the cabin. Before he could say anything back, he heard Seojun scream at them

“Hey let’s get going! It’s starting to rain!”

Their whole cabin announced themselves to the counselor that was standing by the exit. They said their names while he made sure everyone was there, thankfully that other guy that didn’t come to the trip had their name crossed out so that they wouldn’t have to wait for a person that didn’t even come. He and the others ran as fast as they could while staying together. The rain was getting heavier the closest they got to their cabin. Some of them slipped because of the mud that was forming but never fully fell. Soobin was careful not to ruin his clothes; he was running out of clean clothes so he had to take care of these ones.

When they arrived, all of their clothes were wet because of the rain. Not as much as if they had jumped in a pool, but you could tell that they were close to it. Thankfully, their cabin maintained some of the heat it stored from the day. They always made sure to close their windows so that bugs wouldn’t come in, the little warmth they are feeling right now is just a side effect of this. 

Soobin went to look for his phone right after he entered the cabin. He found it right where he had left it, on top of his bed. He didn’t even look if he had notifications and called to his parents. He waited a couple of seconds until they answered.

“Hi! Soobin! How are you? Are you having fun? You said you would call us again but you haven’t. We didn’t want to annoy you so we didn’t call you, but how is everything going?” His mother answered unexpectedly happy

“Hi mom umm … fine I guess” He said confused

“Is everything all right honey? You don’t seem so convinced”

“No of course not, don’t worry about it. I just thought you would want to say something to me …” He didn’t hear anything in return for a couple of seconds

“Honey!” He heard his mom scream very low, probably to his father “Is Soobin’s birthday today?” This can’t be happening right now

“What do you mean?” He heard his father say, he is sure he will correct his mom “Did we forget?”

“I don’t know the kid said that he expected us to call him today …”

“It’s not my birthday!” Soobin screamed right at the mic of his phone

“Hello? Soobin honey the call must have failed. Are you there? I couldn’t hear you” He heard his mom say in a uncomfortable tone

“It’s not my birthday mom … December 5th remember?”

“Of course I know. Your father is just distracting me with one of his jokes you know how he is”

“Yeah sure …”

“B- But why did you say you expected a call from us?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you are doing ok. Say that I am doing fine and that I miss you all to dad, grandma and grandpa”

“Of course I will. Have fun and be careful Soobin, you must return in one piece”

“Yeah mom”

“Bye honey!”

Well that was a short call … if he would have known that his family wasn’t worried for him he would have stayed more time in the dining room with his friends or in Yeonjun’s table, such a waste of a night.

“Everything ok here?” He heard Seojun say as he entered the room

“Yeah …”

“So … can we come in? We need to change clothes …”

“Have you been waiting this whole time?”

“Kind of …It seemed important”

“Ugh whatever … just come in”

* * *

Yeonjun jumped out of his bed at the sound of thunder striking near the cabin. He looked around surprised by the loud noise; the others seemed to be deep asleep. Every time another thunder stroke, he could see the silhouettes of his roommates under their covers. He wasn’t afraid of lightning but that thunder from earlier accelerated his heart so much that it made it difficult for him to fall asleep as if nothing happened. He moved over to the right of his bed to peek over a window to see how it was outside. He could see rain pouring against the trees and the windows of the cabin, the wind moved the branches of the trees so much that it looked as if they were waving at him. It really was a big storm, nothing compared to what it was earlier. 

“Are you having trouble falling asleep?” He heard someone say. He looked around to see who it was but it was too dark “It’s me Soobin, to your right”

“Oh, I didn’t know you were awake”

“Are you afraid of storms?”

“No … you?”

“No …”

“Then … what woke you up?”

“I just woke up no reason. What woke you up?”

“A thunder took me by surprise …”

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to stop for a while. Can you sleep with this much noise?”

“I can, I just got agitated because of earlier. Are you ok with the noise?”

“I actually like falling asleep with a lot of noise. My window faces a street so I sleep to the sound of cars passing by” After this, time went by and none of them talked. Maybe a minute passed by but it didn’t feel that way.

“Did you call your family today?” Yeonjun said out of the blue. He hoped that Soobin had already fallen asleep

“Did you hear?” He heard Soobin speak

“It was very loud … sorry if I shouldn’t have”

“Don’t even worry about it. I just worried for nothing” Soobin said with a huff of laughter “I thought my family would be worried because of the storm but they were having a blast at home”

“Did it make you mad?”

“No … just felt a little annoyed when my parents forgot my birthday but whatever, I can’t hold it against them. If I’m being honest, I can’t even remember theirs sometimes without looking at my calendar”

“I see …” Yeonjun wanted to ask him when his birthday was but he decided not to and settled with an ’I see …’

They stopped talking after that and went back to bed

* * *

“Attention! Please listen carefully; all activities are off for today. You will be staying indoors until further a notice. This is just a prevention measure. Food will be delivered to your cabins so please do not go outside. We ask for your collaboration thank you” A voice spoke through a megaphone

“What is going on?” Soobin asked Seojun. They have been awake for some time now. It was still some rain but not as much as last night.

“We are basically in a lockdown”

“Has this happened before?”

“Yeah, once. It happened because of a storm just like the one from yesterday. We stayed inside after lunchtime. They do it in case there are wild animals roaming around?”

“Why would there be?”

“Some animals lose their homes after storms like this one so they look for another spot when the storm calms down. So we stay inside in case there is a wolf or something else outside. The counselors are the ones in charge of keeping those away from the cabins. We just have to wait so don’t worry”

* * *

Yeonjun barely moved out of his bed, just like he did at home. He took his breakfast to bed and stayed there watching videos in his phone. This time he had to get off bed to bring his food, not like at home where Tortoise brought it to him. It required a little more effort but at least he didn’t have to walk half a mile just for breakfast. He kind of misses Tortoise, he hopes she is having a great time taking care of his tortoise at home, they seemed to get a long last time he saw them.

He could hear some of his roommates talking outside the bedroom. He along another guy were the ones that preferred to be in bed instead of being out there socializing. It was a little lame, but he wouldn’t change anything about it. He really enjoyed spending his time this way, and he will not miss this opportunity. He scrolled through his only social media to see the posts of his three followings. His sister still posted selfies of her on set with her other fellow actors and sometimes of the fancy meals she had, normal celebrity activity. His mother barely made personal posts now that she was focusing on growing the image of their business, everything that she posted was related to ads and promotion of brands. Then, there was Beomgyu, the usual social butterfly he has always been. He posted everything, even if it was insignificant.

He barely used social apps since there was nothing much to see. He only had one photo posted on his profile because Beomgyu forced him to do it. He had a lot of followers even if he didn’t post at all, he still doesn’t get why someone would do that.

He went to sleep some time after finishing his breakfast; a little rain helped him fall asleep like the lullabies that his mother sang to him when he was little. Do you know that feeling when the night is cold but your covers keep you perfectly warm so you want to hold them tightly? He was surely having such a moment right now, it didn’t happen that much back at home because his room had a thermostat that controlled the temperature but now that he was practically in the woods he could perfectly feel it. Yeonjun may not remember what he dreamed of but he certainly feels relaxed after taking that nap.

“Attention! You are now free to leave your cabins. Get ready for lunch if you haven’t, we will follow the schedule as in any other day. In case you are wondering, today there will be no activity, enjoy the rest of the day. See you in a couple of minutes”

* * *

“That was fast …” Soobin said

“Maybe there is nothing to worry about. Whatever, let’s get ready for lunch” Seojun said

Soobin got ready along the others for lunch, he remained close to Seojun on their way to the main cabin in case something came out of the forest and attacked them. This was a new fear Seojun installed in his mind from the talk of this morning. His friend reassured him that nothing would happen to them since animals often avoid places altered by humankind and many other lies he sure made up in the moment. Maybe it was truly safe after all; even the counselors checked the area earlier so there was surely nothing to worry about. When they got there, each one of them made line for the buffet and served themselves what they wanted to eat.

“Hey tell the others I won’t be joining you for lunch”

“Are you betraying us once again, Choi Soobin?” Seojun said

“Yeah, I am”

“Ok, I will. Don’t worry”

“What’s with the change of attitude?”

“I was just kidding; it’s just hard to believe that you a new student has that many friends after just a week. And school hasn’t even started”

“What can I say, everyone loves me” He whispered to his friends ear, if he said it aloud many people would misunderstand

“Yeah sure, miss universe”

* * *

“Hi Yeonjun let me ask you a question” Hyewon said to Yeonjun before he could even take a seat “Who do you think is the most good looking out of the two of us?”

“Huh?” That was the only word he could pronounce. He hasn’t even touched his food and now they were bombarding him with this question

“You know, don’t be shy. Do you think I am or this donkey sitting beside me?” Hyewon bluntly said

“Who do you think you are calling donkey? Monkey!” Tina said back. The two of them bickered for some time. Yeonjun began to eat his lunch ignoring all of the noise that was coming from their table

“What are they doing?” He heard someone say to his ear, this made him have goosebumps. No one has ever been so close to his ear before. He moved away to see who it was, it was just Soobin. He had an astonished look because of what Yeonjun did “I’m sorry I must have surprised you. Can I sit here?” Yeonjun nodded, he still felt tickles in his ear “Is everything ok between them?”

“Just a fight, nothing else” He finally said. Yeonjun kicked under the table to catch the attention of the two girls who hadn’t noticed Soobin’s arrival. The two of them looked at him full of hate but then noticed who was sitting beside him.

“Hi Soobin! What brings you over here?” Hyewon said with a fake smile

“Well … I wanted to sit with you guys”

“Such a great timing also” Tina said while she fixed the hair that was out of place because of the fight with Hyewon

“Were you fighting?” Soobin asked

“No, no, of course not. I love this girl to death” Hyewon forcefully hugged Tina

“Yeah don’t worry about it” Tina said

“You know he can help you with your problem …” Yeonjun dared to say. He knew what he was doing; he would put an end to the hope of one of those girls. He will get to see one of them crumble in front of him, it was evil but entertaining.

“What is it?” Soobin asked him

“They wanted to know who was the good looking out of the two”

“Oh … well …” Soobin paused before continuing “I think Hyewon is more attractive but-“ Soobin got interrupted by the scream coming from Hyewon. He couldn’t keep going because she was doing a victory dance in front of them “Wait, wait I haven’t finished … I said you are the most attractive but I think Tina is the cutest” Once again, he was taken by surprise when Tina started screaming and dancing

“But! … Who would you choose?” Hyewon said in exasperation, she really wanted to win this one

“Umm, I would pick …” Soobin said uncomfortably

“Of course that he would pick Misoo. Why would you ask him that? They are probably together now. Don’t mess with a taken man, people will judge” Yeonjun said before Soobin answered the question. Two for the price of one, done it

“Well …” Soobin said low. He didn’t notice the void inside both of the eyes of the girls in front of him, but Yeonjun clearly did “we are not together …” he finally said

“You are not?” Tina and Hyewon said at the same time

“No …”

“I thought that you were, after that kiss in front of our cabin I was mostly sure of it” Tina said without thinking

“In front … of your cabin? Did you see-“ Soobin said, he blushed a little

“No! Of course not, we don’t mingle in anyone’s business if that’s what you are thinking of” Hyewon said

“They totally did, they spent the whole morning talking about it. Kiss this, Soobin that, Misoo’s shampoo, Disney Princess something, …” Yeonjun said after Hyewon finished

“I thought no one was looking” Soobin said while covering his face

“They also saw when-“ Yeonjun was going to continue but a strong hit to his shin made him stop

“Ugh this is so embarrassing. You must be thinking so bad of me but believe me. We haven’t kissed or anything like that” Soobin admitted

“You haven’t? Are you sure?” Hyewon asked

“What type of question is that?” Yeonjun said, still in pain

“Yeah … I’m sure” Soobin said. The two fan girls then returned to their normal private gossip between the two of them leaving Soobin and him out of the conversation. He never got bored of seeing how easy they would turn from enemies to best friends in just a second

“Let them be, it will take a second until everything returns to normal” Yeonjun said

“Anyways, umm Soobin. Is there somewhere you would like to go? You know, somewhere you haven’t gone to in the camp?” Hyewon said after finishing her gossip with Tina

“There is one place. I heard is like a cliff where the river is, but it is too far away” Soobin said

“Oh yeah I’ve been there many times before. We can take you there if you want” Tina said

“Really? I didn’t want to bother my friends because they didn’t want to go but if you want to then let’s go”

“You can also come with us Yeonjun, if you want to” Tina said

“I’ll think about it …” He said back

“Ok, let’s go get ready so we can leave as soon as possible” Hyewon said excited because of the occasion

“Meet us in half an hour near the path” Tina said before both of the girls stormed out of the dining room

“I guess we should too get ready … Are you coming?” Soobin asked him

“Yeah, I’ll go” Yeonjun admitted

* * *

They did exactly as they were told, get ready and then meet them up a half an hour later near the path but none of the girls were there. Soobin and Yeonjun waited patiently for them and kept looking in the direction their cabin was to see if they were getting closer but they weren’t. It wasn’t late since only thirty minutes had passed from lunch but if they don’t leave soon then they will barely have time to see the place before turning back. Then, Yeonjun’s phone rang.

“Leave before us, we will meet you on the way there” Yeonjun said as he read the message

“Are we really leaving without them?” He asked

“They have come here at least five times in their lives, I am sure they know the way” Yeonjun said confident “Let’s go or we will have no time”

“Ok, I’ll follow you”

Soobin walked besides Yeonjun through the path he had already used with his friends. Some places looked familiar while others not so much but he trusted Yeonjun with this task. He made small chat from now and then, nothing special but it made sure that the walk wouldn’t turn awkward.

“Do you come here every year?” He asked Yeonjun

“Yeah, every year”

“Will you come the next year?”

“Probably not”

“You might do something big like travel or something like that, right? Now that you graduated, your family must do something big for you”

“Who knows … maybe?”

“I probably won’t come back …”

“Why not?”

“You know … my father must have sacrificed a lot for me to be here right now. I promised him I will make the best out of this trip but I also plan on not returning, my parents have done way too much for me”

“Is there a limit to how much a parent can give to his son?”

“No, but there is a limit of how much a son should accept. I have passed that line by way too far; I don’t plan on crossing it more”

They kept walking until Soobin could see the spot where he had a picnic with his friends day earlier. He can’t say he knows the way back, but he can admit he isn’t that bad at remembering places. After passing by, the terrain started to get inclined; they were getting closer to the cliff where the river is. It was almost four and they still hadn’t arrived to the cliff, they also haven’t seen any trace of Tina or Hyewon coming from behind them; they must be close if they left minutes after they left.

Soobin felt how his legs were giving their all after walking on the tilted terrain, now he could see why no one wanted to come here. Even though he was tired, he still liked how the trees moved and made sounds, and the colorful flowers he encountered on their way to the river, he was new to all of this. All of a sudden, he could hear a stream of water nearby, they were almost there.

“We have arrived” He heard Yeonjun say

He can’t say it was a magical place and that butterflies greeted them the moment they stepped out of the bushes because that didn’t happen, but he was pleased with what he was seeing. The river was wider and deeper than what he thought of. From a distance, it didn’t seem as big as it was.

“Is this really it? It seems much bigger than what it looked like” Soobin asked curiously as he approached the rocky sides of the river

“Yeah, this is it. You can see the front of it if you want; it looks more like it from there” Yeonjun said. Soobin went to the front where the water flowed slowly just as Kai had said “This is more like a lake than a river. The cliff you are seeing is more of a dam that anything else, the real river is upstream”

“So this pool of water is being stopped by this rocky cliff?” Soobin asked him

“Yeah, you can freely swim in this part of the river because of how deep it is thanks to that dam. There is barely a flow of water because of the dam so the waterfall is pretty pathetic”

“I see … has this always been here?”

“I have never seen it any different so don’t worry, the dam won’t break. The rock is too heavy to even lift”

“Have you tried lifting it?”

“Not me, just Beomgyu’s dumb ass friends”

“Sangwook and the others you mean?”

“Do you know them?” Yeonjun asked him

“I recently encountered Sangwook. He didn’t seem as friendly as Beomgyu”

“Did he say something to you?”

“He told me to stay away from Misoo …”

“That pig … he has always wanted to be with her. He disgusts me so much”

“I will just keep my distance from now, I don’t like it but everyone has told me to do so”

“So your friends know …”

“They don’t, they just told me to do as he said if he ever talked to me. You know, to avoid any situation that came from not doing so”

“You should follow what they said”

“I know … it just doesn’t feel right”

* * *

“I told you we are going the wrong way! Why don’t you listen to me?” Tina said to her

“You told me to turn right!” Hyewon says

“Yeah before I corrected myself!”

“Then why don’t you go ahead and guide us?”

“Because now I don’t even know where we are!”

“So … you aren’t as good of a guide as I thought you were”

“Well of course we are in the middle of nowhere!”

“Let’s turn back and look for a cabin”

“What must Soobin be thinking of us? I was so confident we knew the way but look at us”

“Tina, do you realize that we have never gone outside the main campsite? Ever!”

“Yeah but I thought it wasn’t as hard as it actually is. I mean all we had to do is follow a path”

“Do you think we are in the Wizard of Oz? Of course it is hard! This camp is huge!”

“I’m sorry” Tina said discouraged

Both of them kept walking until they encountered a cabin. This was the second closest to the campsite according to the map standing at the side of the path. There was no way they could get to the cliff before nighttime. Tina sent a message to Yeonjun’s phone hoping that he will have enough signal for him to look at it.

“Done, I think we should go back, we should just wait for him to-“ Tina said to Hyewon but something made her stop

“What? Is something wrong?” Hyewon asked her. She felt scared now that her friend started shaking at what was standing behind her. She didn’t have to turn back to know what was standing behind her. She heard a powerful growl come from the trees they had passed seconds ago, a wolf and it was close. She acted out of instinct and took her petrified friend by the wrist and started running towards the door of the cabin, if by any chance the door was locked, they were doomed.

They sprinted to the door while they heard the growls grow closer and closer along with the footsteps the beast made. They won’t be able to run for long so they had to give their all if they wanted to live. Both girls jumped through the stairs of the porch of the cabin to get to the door. Right now, there were two growls coming towards them, one closer than the other. Hyewon twisted the doorknob with all of her strength … it opened. She pushed her friend inside and closed the door. It didn’t fully close because a paw of the wolf was stuck in between, even if she gave her all and the wolf whimpered it wasn’t giving up. She started screaming her friend’s name for her to react. After five screams, she finally snapped out of it and grabbed the first thing she saw and hit the paw that was preventing them from closing the door. After a few strikes, the wolf gave in and they fully closed the door. They had just experienced a wolf attack, and they had survived.

* * *

Time went by and Tina and Hyewon hadn’t appeared, something must have happened to them. Soobin and Yeonjun began to get worried of them and decided to leave after spending some time by the river. Not only it was getting late, they felt as if something was keeping an eye on them. It must be because of the creepy scenery and because none of the girls had appeared; but it didn’t matter you could still feel the tension in the air. The sun was going down making a beautiful pink glow on the sky, Soobin and Yeonjun had miscalculated their time. Last time with his friends, Soobin left when the sky was the same color but back then, they were much closer to the campsite than they were right now. They won’t make it in time to the cabin without the counselors noticing, he will apologize later but now he had to get out of the woods before it really turned dark.

“We need to get going, fast” Yeonjun said as he jogged through the path where they came from. Soobin was right beside him

“Do you think they are ok?” He asked Yeonjun

“Something must have happened. My phone doesn’t have signal right now so I don’t know”

* * *

Seojun had to act fast if he wanted to keep his friend out of trouble. The counselor is banging at their door and something serious must be happening to do so, they never do this. He convinced the others not to open the door until he said so; he needed to prove that Soobin and Yeonjun were in the cabin without them seeing them. He went to both of the showers and turned them on leaving them running. He also locked both doors with a key that was for emergency only, this was an emergency in his defense.

He signaled the others to open the door and they let the counselor in.

“Is everyone here? Call the rest if they are on the other room” The guy said with a strong tone. There was definitely something going on

“We are all here, two of them are taking a shower right now” Seojun bluffed

“Let’s see … “ He started taking assistance like the professors did in class, he hopes his plan works

“Choi Yeonjun? In the shower I suppose … and Choi Soobin? He is the other guy in the shower” The counselor looked around one last time and stepped out of the cabin but before he did he said “Be sure to lock your door tonight, we will make an announcement tomorrow for this matter, make sure to tell the guys in the shower”

“I will, thank you” Seojun said

If Yeonjun and Soobin were missing the other two girls must be too, so he contacted someone from their cabin to do the same bluff as he did. Maybe that way he could also save them both from whatever that was happening … just where the hell were they?

* * *

Every second that passed the sky turned darker and their fear increased. They were both shaking but neither wanted to admit it. Their eyes were darting in all directions to see if Tina or Hyewon were nearby but most importantly, because now they were sure there was something following them. Yeonjun took them directly through the forest instead of following the path, whatever that was following them wouldn’t be as obedient as they would going through the path so they had to take some shortcuts. They were no longer jogging, they were running. They jumped over roots, went through bushes and got scratches all over them for doing so but it didn’t matter.

“You can feel it too right?” Soobin asked Yeonjun

“We have to get inside a cabin”

Then they started hearing growls going towards them, whatever it was, it was hungry and ready for dinner. They ran towards the nearest cabin they could find and closed the door without thinking of it twice. They couldn’t hear a thing, no footsteps, no growls, nothing. Maybe they imagined everything out of fear but neither one of them wanted to confirm it.

“There are two more cabins left until campsite. We can run from one to another when we can” Yeonjun whispered to Soobin

“Do you think we can do it?” He asked

“We have to, nobody knows we are out here”

Soobin then crawled to the door to see if there was something standing right in front of it but there was nothing. It either left or is waiting for them to come out.

Yeonjun’s phone began to shake, there were text from Tina that said.

“Hi Yeonjun we got a little lost, don’t worry be right there!”

“Hi again, we really got lost. We will see you back at the campsite it is getting late”

“Send me a message when you see this”

“Yeonjun! There are wolves out there! Get inside a cabin right now! We are trapped inside the cabin besides the haunted one my battery is dying get somewhere safe!”

Yeonjun’s hand started shaking even more after reading the messages Tina sent them. He was relieved that they were safe but how will they get back to the campsite? It was definitely getting darker and they were against a pack of wolves. He went ahead and marked Beomgyu’s number so that he could send some help but his phone died on him without him knowing.

“I should have brought mine, damn it” Soobin hissed

“We need to get out of here, we need to go before it completely goes dark” Yeonjun said

“I don’t plan to stay the night here but isn’t it safer to be here?” Soobin said

“These doors don’t have a lock and they are almost completely decomposed. If the wolves are hungry … they will bring it down one way or another”

“We need to make a distraction so we can get to the next cabin. They are surely waiting on us”

“Look for something, anything”

They both looked around every corner of the cabin but there was nothing useful to work with. Before these cabins were abandoned, the counselors must have taken the belongings from each one of them. The only thing they had were some chairs and the curtains.

“This cabin doesn’t have metal bars like ours do …” Soobin said

“So …” Yeonjun said curiously

“If we can't get out, we must bring them in”

“That is insane but it’s the only choice we have. We still need to take care of the wolves hunting for Tina and Hyewon”

“We need to bring them to us. Let’s lock them up all together”

“How do we do it?”

“Before we go on, I will be the one luring them inside from the bedroom. I will open a window and make them jump in. You will go outside from the main door and when you see all of them get in you will slide the curtains over the window and close it. By that time, I will be locking the bedroom door with the wolves inside and make a run to the other cabin. Right after I step out you close the door and we run the longest we can” Soobin explained “Are you ready?” Yeonjun nodded “I don’t know if this will work but it’s worth a shot, don’t worry for me and keep with the plan” Those were the last words Soobin said before going to the bedroom to begin their plan

With his heart beating in his chest like never before, he listened attentively to when the plan began. He then heard Soobin howl and scream out of fear as if he was being attacked. He then heard at least three wolves run from the porch to the back of the cabin, they really were waiting for them right outside the cabin. Soobin still hasn’t come out of the room, he probably hasn’t opened the window yet, they are waiting for the other wolves to arrive before they continued with the plan. Yeonjun then heard a pack of other wolves barking and growling at the back, they had arrived and now he had to go out. He went out and looked both ways but there were no wolves by the entrance as planned. He looked around the cabin and watched as six wolves fought to get inside the window. One after the other started getting in the cabin, Soobin must be blocking the bedroom door from the living room by now. They just had to wait for the last one to come in, and then it did. Right after that, Yeonjun ran to the window, did as Soobin told him and made a run to the front door once again. He screamed at Soobin to run and after he passed by him he closed the door locking the wolves inside the cabin.

It is dark right now but their eyes had adjusted a little to the darkness of the cabin they just left so they could still see partially where they were going. As they ran they heard the wolves howl inside the cabin, the farther they got the less they heard them. They saw the cabin in which Tina and Hyewon were and in fact there were no wolves around, their plan worked. They banged on the door and opened it to take both of the girls out. Tina and Hyewon were shaking and looked as if they had been crying for quite a while. They didn’t have time to comfort them so they just took them by the arm and kept running.

Any time now, the door of the cabin will burst with six hungry wolves and by that time, they need to be inside the campsite.

They passed the haunted cabin in a blink of an eye. They didn’t notice if it was on, with the door opened, nothing. They kept running and never looked back. After minutes of running, they felt relief when they saw lamps turned on right in front of them; they had arrived to the campsite. They couldn’t take a break since the wolves might still be following them. They noticed that tonight there were no counselors patrolling the night, they must have known about the wolves; not even them could make front to a pack. All of them kept pushing forward and arrived at the cabin of the girls. They knocked multiple times because the door was locked but finally someone opened the door. Neither the four of them looked who it was, the girls ran inside and the boys made a full turn to their cabin.

They crossed the whole soccer field as fast as they could and made way directly to their cabin. It was right in front of them, Cabin 9, they have never been so happy to see that wooden cabin before. They jumped over the stairs of the porch and got inside the cabin right before closing it shut. They have finally arrived, now they are safe.

Soobin and Yeonjun fell to the floor out of exhaustion. There was one person waiting for them in the living room, they didn’t see who it was because they were gasping for air after running this much. That person ran directly to the door and locked it with a key.

“You look like a mess! What happened?” Soobin heard the person say

“We did it” He managed to say as he shed a tear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I can’t believe this chapter is so long! I had such a fun time writing it I hope you enjoyed it as well! Uff this is so much to handle I even felt the rush writing it (maybe the chapter sucked and here I am praising myself for such a mess, but I am just so happy with how this story is developing) Once again, I want to thank you all for reading and for your support. I hope you are enjoying the story! See you! <3


	18. Trauma

“Stay right there I’ll look for a med kit, there must be one in the bathroom” Seojun said agitated

Soobin was still catching his breath; he couldn’t believe they actually made it to the cabin before the wolves caught up to them. He had thought to himself every time he saw horror movies what he would do in such situations, he worried he would be petrified like Tina was when they found the girls but thankfully he kept pushing forward. He moved his head to the left to where Yeonjun was. Yeonjun was laying on the floor right beside him, eyes closed and heavily breathing, just like him. From what he could see from his right side of his profile, he had scratches across his cheek and the rest of his face from running through bushes and branches of the trees. Some of those were dripping a little amount of blood while others were just superficial. Soobin wonders if that’s the exact reason why his face hurts so much, he must be full of scratches himself too. But what worried him most was a tear rolling down his face.

“Are you ok?” Soobin said concerned and with a bit more power now that he had restored some of his breath. Then, Yeonjun turned his face in his direction, he could now see the rest of his face. It was as badly hurt as his right side.

“Why are you crying?” Yeonjun said back

“Me?” Soobin said completely lost. He now notices that there was a tear rolling down his left cheek. He didn’t feel like crying so why was he? “You are also crying” Maybe Yeonjun didn’t know either because he too looked confused when he noticed a trail of a tear in his right cheek.

“How did you get so messed up? Where the hell did you go?” Seojun said coming out from the restroom

“We went out for a walk and lost track of time. We couldn’t see much, it was too dark” Soobin said. He didn’t know if Yeonjun wanted everybody to know so he will ask him later if he can tell the truth to Seojun. For now, he won’t tell the whole story

“Tell me where you went so I won’t go there ever. Look at you two, this won’t make much”

“Just do whatever you can” Soobin said

“I’m not a registered nurse or anything but I am just telling you … this will probably hurt” Seojun said as he soaked a towel with what seems to be alcohol. Both their faces are so scratched it was probably better to just place a whole towel over their faces to disinfect the wounds. Soobin watched as Seojun placed one of the towels and Yeonjun grunted in pain, after a couple of seconds he calmed down. As Seojun made sure he had disinfected his whole face, he noted how the towel slowly turned pink and then red from Yeonjun’s blood. Seojun then brought out some Band-Aids and placed them over the deepest wounds he had.

Then Seojun proceeded to do the same to Soobin. As he soaked another towel and placed it over Soobin’s face, he could see why Yeonjun reacted as he did. It really stung, but what was worse was when his friend moved the towel gently over his face to fully clean the wounds. He can recognize from the pain where his worst wounds where. Just as with Yeonjun, the pain dissipated and he could take the pain that was left. Seojun continued and did the same for him as he did for Yeonjun.

“What is going on out here?” One of his roommates said as he opened the door from the bedroom

“Go inside and don’t wake up the others. Make sure no one comes out” Seojun said to the other guy in a serious matter. Soobin can’t tell if he intimidated him with his expression because he was staring at the ceiling but from what he could tell it worked. The guy went back to bed and closed the door when he entered the bedroom.

“Was there anyone looking for us?” Yeonjun asked

“No … I lied that you were here … I probably shouldn’t have done that … I’m sorry”

“It’s better this way … Don’t tell anyone” Yeonjun said

“The lights are going out in a couple of minutes. You should probably take a shower and take care of other wounds you have in your body. I’ll look for the other med kit for you” Seojun said as he left the living room

“You don’t want to tell anyone?” Soobin asked Yeonjun

“If somebody knew the trip would be shut down”

“Somebody could get hurt if we don’t tell someone about it”

“I am sure they will figure something out, this has happened before they know what to do. It was just our fault that we were so deep in the woods”

“I’ll trust you on this one”

“ ... Why would you? You clearly know someone could get hurt because of this” Yeonjun said

“You trusted in me … I want to trust in you too”

“You may be making a big mistake”

“I’ll take the risk”

* * *

After Soobin’s friend returned to the living room and gave him the other med kit there was, he went to the bedroom to take out the clothes he would wear to sleep. His body hurt from simply moving a finger, the effects of the adrenaline must be wearing off. As he took his clothes off, he could see all types of scratches and cuts. He had in his arms, hands, abdomen, legs, neck … everywhere. It wasn’t as bad as being devoured by a pack of wolves but it wasn’t good if you know what I mean. He went into the shower and cleaned himself superficially to take out the dirtiness and anything that could cause an infection. He took little time in the shower, as he didn’t want the wounds to get infected from the water itself. He dried himself with his towel and did the same as Soobin’s friend did for him but in the rest of his body. It stung a lot every time he cleaned his wounds but it was necessary. Yeonjun then dressed himself with the clothes he brought and stepped out of the bathroom. He saw Soobin taking care of a wound he had in his ankle, he thought he was fast taking a shower, maybe Soobin really is a master in lightning showers.

“Are you ok?” He asked. As he finished talking, the lights went out

“Yeah, I am” He heard Soobin speak in the dark room

“You need help with that?”

“Just a little light could help” Yeonjun approached Soobin and sat beside him. Then, he turned on the lamp closest to them

“Thanks” They went silent as Soobin treated his cut. Now that he looks at him up close, Soobin’s face is as badly scratched as his is. Could his body also be ... Yeonjun stopped himself before he went on

“Are you ok?” Soobin asked. Yeonjun nodded as he tried to look at him directly

“I’m just tired”

“We should go to bed, sorry for making you stay here a little longer. I’ll be done in a second”

“Don’t worry” Yeonjun maybe didn’t want him to finish, maybe.

“Done, thanks” Soobin said

As they were getting up from the sofa, something caught their attention; it was coming from outside the cabin. They stopped before taking the first step and Yeonjun acted out of instinct and turned off the lamp in a glimpse of a second. They listened as some footsteps walked around their cabin, footsteps that were not human. Their fear increased as they heard the wood from the porch creak from a weight setting on them, it was heading straight to the door. From where he was, Yeonjun saw as the light under the door that came from the moon was blocked by something standing right outside their cabin. Then they heard strong sniffs and growls on the other side of the door, the wolves have followed them back to camp after escaping the cabin they locked them in before.

This time there was nothing to fear as they were secure in this modern cabin but it still terrified them that the wolves were still hunting them. They maintained still from what seemed hours, waiting for the wolf to leave them alone. Finally, they heard a howl come from afar, way deep in the woods; that made the wolf lose interest and leave the cabin.

Yeonjun and Soobin kept still for a little more time, just in case. They didn’t talk to each other; they knew they had to go to bed before another uninvited visitor caught their scent. Right now, the bedroom was the safest place to be as the windows were closed, with metal bars and was the farthest from the entrance. He and Soobin entered the room without making noise, everyone was already deep asleep. They went to their respective beds and hid under the covers for some warmth and from the animals roaming outside in the woods. Hopefully none of them will come near them for the rest of the trip.

* * *

It took some time to fall asleep, maybe an hour or a bit more but finally Soobin could. It was difficult, his cuts made it difficult. But also because he heard the rushing of leaves blowing through the grass which made a similar sound to wolves circling their cabin, he was being paranoid but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He switched his positions many times, his face hurt when he set his face in the pillow, his arms were sensitive to the covers, his side abdomen was full of cuts which made every sleeping position uncomfortable. Earlier while showering, he finally understood the magnitude of wounds he had, it looked as if he had fallen from a cliff. Soobin then opted for the “mummy” position it was the least painful. He stared at the roof while he convinced himself that everything was going to be all right and that he was in a safe place. After some time, he fell asleep because of tiredness.

Soobin appeared to be in the river he saw earlier that day with Yeonjun, but now he was alone. The river flowed aggressively against the wall of stone that prevented it from crashing down to the lake below. He watched as the river grew and became more violent, then the wall collapsed and the river stormed down as the waterfall it was supposed to be. Then a scream came out of the woods across the river, it was a girl. The sky turned blood red and the screams seemed to get closer to him. The river was returning to be calm as it was from a beginning and lost its volume as most of the water fell to the lake, any second now it will dry up so he can cross to help the girl. He saw some bushes shake as if something was coming out of them. Then a woman came out of the bushes, she was in her mid-twenties, beautiful, long hair, looked familiar for some reason and covered with blood in some parts of her white gown. She smiled directly at him while she cried. It was very disturbing for him to see. She took a step towards him but something behind her pulled her into the bushes where Soobin couldn’t see her. As she disappeared from his view, loud screams and growls came from her direction, she was being eaten by the wolves. 

One of Soobin’s fear came true, as he couldn’t react to what was happening, he tried moving but he couldn’t. He had to stare at the rumbling bushes as the screams turned louder and the wolves killed her. Then everything became silent, there was nothing coming from the bushes he stared at. After some seconds, a wolf came out with its mouth covered with blood. It slowly walked over to him; it crossed the now dry river and was standing right in front of him. They maintained eye contact until the wolf opened its mouth.

_“Don’t trust him, he is going to kill you” The wolf said_

“You killed that woman” Soobin said. He didn’t mean to; he wasn’t in control of his actions

_“You killed her by doing nothing”_

“There was nothing I could do”

_“You could have saved her”_

“How?”

The wolf didn’t respond, he only took out its tongue and liked the blood in his snout like dogs did when hungry. Then Soobin felt as someone tackled him to the side and closer to the cliff. He fought back trying not to fall to the lake from such altitude but stopped when he saw who it was, it was Yeonjun.

“What are you doing!?” Soobin screamed at him

“Do you really want to trust me?” Yeonjun huffed to him. It was as if he was making fun of what he had said to him earlier

“Stop!” Soobin screamed out of fear. He was now inches away from falling into the dark blue lake. He looked at the wolf and it stared in his direction with a creepy grin in his face as if telling him ’I told you’. But what scared him most was the maniac smile Yeonjun had in his face while he tried pushing him into the cliff.

“Yeonjun!” Soobin screamed. It did nothing, he was falling

As he fell, he saw in slow motion how Yeonjun stared at him and the wolf got closer to the cliff to see his fall. Both of them just looked at him in satisfaction, he was going to die. Soobin felt the cold water surround him as he fell on it and swallowed him completely as he tried to swim to the surface. Just like in real life, he wasn’t able to swim. Everything turned darker and darker but before he lost consciousness, he heard.

 _“You could have let me eat you instead”_ The voice of the wolf said in the middle of the darkness

* * *

Yeonjun woke up covered in sweat and completely disoriented of where he was. He in his paranoia unknowingly pushed the roommate that was trying to wake him up. The light coming from the windows was bright; he couldn’t keep his eyes open for much.

“Hey it’s alright you were having a nightmare so I woke you up” The guy said “Breakfast is already here if you want to eat”

“Here?” He asked

“We are on lockdown again so don’t go out”

Yeonjun calmed down a little after realizing that the dream he was having was over. He also regained consciousness of the cuts and scratches that he has now that he can feel them once again stinging every time he moved. He was relieved that everything that happened wasn’t real. He hopes he can forget the nightmare he had as soon as possible.

“What happened to these two? I wake up and I see them all messed up and having nightmares all of a sudden … weird” The guy said as he left the room. He spoke low, but enough for him to hear.

“Try to survive a wolf attack and sleep soundly while the wolves are right outside your cabin” he said in his mind

Even after distracting himself with his phone before going out of the room to eat his breakfast, he still couldn’t stop thinking of the dream he had. If only he had listened and done what she told him, he wouldn’t have killed him … and he wouldn’t have died.

* * *

She was steps away from entering the house she holds so dear to her. It has been a little more than a year since she has been inside, but more than missing the house, she misses her son. She didn’t even take her belongings out of the car, she ran straight inside in look of what was dear to her. The maids greeted her in a line inside the house doing a bow as a show of respect.

“Madam, I am glad your trip went well. Glad, to have you back” One of them said

“Thank you so much, I am glad it also went well” She looked around in search of her son but he wasn’t there

“Is there something we can help you with?”

“Does Yeonjun know of my arrival? I wanted it to be a surprise but I thought he would know when he saw you organize for our arrival”

“You see, madam-“ The maid tried to explain

“He is hiding in his room right? He is such a troublemaker. Yeonjun!” She screamed as she went for the stairs

“Madam!” The maid called for her, but that didn’t make her stop

She went up the stairs and headed to her son’s bedroom excited to see him again, it has been more than a year since she doesn’t see him. She wanted to give him the biggest hug she could, this time she wasn’t going away, she will stay with him. She promises she won’t go, from now on he will need her help for what’s next, and she will be there for him.

She went to his bedroom and opened the door wide open, but got surprised when she saw that Yeonjun wasn’t in the room. She felt as her heart sunk, she hoped to see her son but he wasn’t home. Where is he?

“Madam” She heard the maid get in the bedroom

“Where is he? Is he at Beomgyu’s?” She desperately asked

“Madam, he is on the camp trip his school organizes every year”

“Camp trip? Since when do they do such things?”

“I’m afraid he goes every year, he must have forgotten to tell you about it”

“Is he coming back soon?”

“He will return next Sunday according to the plan”

“Next Sunday? That long?”

“I’m sorry, madam”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is a shorter chapter but I hope you enjoy it anyways. I just wanted to tell you that I decided to change the tags of the story a little and that I will take some time to revise the other chapters in look of grammatical errors and such, so the next chapter will be posted a little late than usual. In the next days, you will see some changes on the main page focused on the tags and don’t worry I won’t modify what I have already wrote. In case there is something (probably won’t) I will make sure to notify you in the notes of the next chapter. Thank you so much for reading and for your support! See you! <3


	19. Wrapped Up

“So … Are you going to explain why you and Yeonjun are all messed up?” One of his roommates asked him as he ate his breakfast

“Nothing really happened, we went out on a walk around the lake and lost track of time. On our way back we couldn’t see much and stumbled on some bushes” It was true … kind of

“A couple of bushes don’t do that much damage”

“Just drop it, were you there to say if he is lying or not?” Seojun added to the conversation with an annoyed tone

“I can tell he isn’t telling us the entire story, that’s it”

“If Soobin says that’s what happened then that’s the truth. Let’s not talk about it anymore” Seojun once again defended him

Soobin was finishing the breakfast that the counselors brought to their cabin minutes earlier. They were on lockdown once again for reasons only him, Tina, Hyewon and Yeonjun know. Someone must have spotted the wolves roaming around the campsite while they were away in their walk yesterday. If they hadn’t gone on the walk, nothing would have happened to all four of them, it was just a matter of time and place, unfortunately none of those worked in their favor back then. But enough of thinking of what happened, they had escaped with minor injuries so there was nothing to worry about, they were safe inside the cabin. There were only two things that still creeped his mind, the wolves from last night circling the cabin and that nightmare that he had. Now that he thinks of it, he can swear he has seen the lady he dreamed of somewhere before but right now he can’t figure out where. His thoughts were interrupted as Yeonjun walked into the room. With the light of day passing through the windows, he can clearly see how badly his face was, it was just as his. Yeonjun walked to where his food was and took it inside the bedroom as he had done the day before. He could see his other roommates were still curious about what happened to them yesterday but that conversation is over now that Seojun guarded his back as a falcon.

“We will have to stay inside longer than expected, we may have lunch in the cabin too” Seojun said

“I don’t know about you but I am very satisfied with this, I could get used to it” One guy said

“There is not much to do so I will go and take a nap. If something happens, don’t wake me up” another guy said.

As people finished, they went back in the bedroom while Soobin stayed behind in the living room, even Seojun went back for some sleep. He stayed there doing nothing at all. He sometimes had random thoughts of his dream or the day before but most of the time he just laid there in the sofa having no thoughts at all. It was a neutral state of existing, he liked how it felt to have this moments, it slows down his day.

Soobin has to admit that the scratches and cuts he has disturbed him to an imaginable level that he never thought possible. Yesterday they were fresh and sensitive but today they itch a little and the deeper ones still feel very raw. Sometimes when he opened his mouth the cut that he had in his lip opened once again dripping a little blood into his mouth. He doesn’t feel repulsion to blood or the taste of it; it was the pain that really made him uncomfortable. He was going to serve himself a glass of water but the sound of the door of the bedroom opening caught his attention, it was Yeonjun coming out with the dishes.

“Hi” Soobin said

“Hi …” Yeonjun said back

“Did you eat?” Of course he ate dumbass. Why are you asking him this?

“Yeah, it was … nice”

“Good …” Soobin really didn’t want to make this awkward but how could he not when he was this bad at starting conversations?

“You are bleeding” Soobin heard Yeonjun say

“Oh, this is nothing. I have worst ones, this is just a little one” He said as he pointed to the cut in his lip

“Sit there for a second” Yeonjun pointed at the sofa as he walked to both of the bathrooms and took out both of the med kits they used last night. Soobin did as he said

“It’s really not that bad-“ Soobin said

“It seems painful, let’s get it treated” Yeonjun is now kneeling in front of him taking out the things from the med kit that he will use “This will hurt”

“Nothing new” Soobin said

Yeonjun applied the medicine in Soobin’s lip with a little tool that came with it. Just as Yeonjun said and as he already knew, it really hurt. He fought against the urge of moving his head out of the way so that he couldn’t treat his wound; just as with the other cuts, the pain lessened seconds after.

“How did you get a cut there? Do you like eating bushes?” Yeonjun said. But not in the same tone he normally used, this time it seemed as he was teasing him. This took Soobin in a surprise, as he had never seen Yeonjun like this. Maybe they were getting closer that what he thought.

“Then what about you? Do you like hearing what the bushes say?” Soobin said as he pointed at the cut in Yeonjun’s ear with the same tone Yeonjun did before. Yeonjun exhaled strongly as a laugh and then started to take out the Band-Aids he had in his face and neck

“What are you doing?” Soobin asked

“Your friend is asleep so he won’t treat your cuts” Yeonjun said “Of course I am not doing this for free”

“How much an hour?” Soobin asked oblivious of what he asked in return. Yeonjun looked at him confused of his answer

“Just help me with mine”

“Oh yeah … right” Soobin said ashamed of his past question. Yeonjun made delicate movements while he removed the Band Aids and looked concentrated on what he was doing “Do you do this often?”

“More than people think, Beomgyu always gets himself in trouble”

“He is lucky to have you as a friend then … Ouch!” Soobin grunted in pain as Yeonjun treated a deep wound that he had in his face

“Sorry”

“Don’t mind”

“It is deep but I don’t think it will leave a scar”

“My grandmother would kill me if it leaves a scar”

“There you go, done” Yeonjun said as he finished treating the last cuts he had

* * *

“Let’s switch” Soobin said. They exchanged the positions and now Yeonjun was sitting in the sofa waiting for Soobin to treat him

“I’ll start with the ear” Soobin said as he tucked Yeonjun’s hair out of the way. At his touch, Yeonjun felt goosebumps and jumped in surprise

“I’m sorry … I didn’t expect that, go ahead” Soobin treated his ear and then removed the Band-Aids he had in his face, just as he did before

“You are as messed up as I am” Soobin said as he examined Yeonjun’s face “As you said, this will hurt”

“Let’s get this over with” Yeonjun felt his wounds sting as Soobin carefully cleaned them. He tried to maintain a plain facial expression but the pain that came from the cuts made it impossible sometimes

“I bet if the girls saw you like this they would melt all over you” Soobin said with a smirk in his face

“Why do you say so?”

“All of these cuts give you more of the bad boy personality that you already have”

“And you think I look hot because of it?” Yeonjun said mockingly. He didn’t think twice before speaking, he regrets not doing so. Soobin stopped treating him surprised of his question

“ … Yeah, I think so” Soobin said after a couple of seconds of silence, after this he continued cleaning his wounds “I believe it’s all done” Soobin said as he looked around Yeonjun’s face and neck

“Thank you … I’ll go back to bed” Yeonjun said. He wanted to get out of the living room as soon as possible; he was embarrassed of what he asked Soobin earlier.

“Wait, what is that?” Soobin said as he pointed to the left side of his torso “Are you bleeding? Let me see”

“What?” Yeonjun said. He looked to where Soobin pointed and there was a stain of blood right were his left ribcage was. Now he understands why he felt so uncomfortable in that side while in bed. He must not have seen it yesterday. Before he knew, Soobin was already by his side

“It doesn’t look that good to me … Did you treat it yesterday?”

“I didn’t know I had it”

“Let me see” Soobin said as he grabbed a corner of his shirt

“What are you doing?” Yeonjun said surprised of what Soobin was doing. He grabbed his hand before he pulled it upwards

“You are bleeding”

“So …”

“You need to get it cleaned, it might get infected”

“I can do it myself, just give me the med kit”

“Stop being such a burden and let me help you” Soobin said as he saw directly at him

“Ugh” Yeonjun said out of frustration. Soobin just wanted to help, what was the big deal? He finally let go of his hand and Soobin lifted his shirt to treat the cut he didn’t know he had

“This doesn’t look good, lift your arms” Yeonjun did as he said without asking why

“What are you doing!?” Yeonjun screamed lowly to him as Soobin took off his shirt and left him bare chest in the middle of the living room

“What, I can’t do it properly with your shirt in between”

“Give me back my shirt!” Yeonjun said as he tried to take it out of his hands

“Stop being such a baby and let me help you!” Soobin hissed at him as he evaded Yeonjun’s hand from taking the shirt back. In the process, Soobin made his way to the bathroom and locked them inside “Are you happy now? This is more private, stop being ridiculous”

“Ridiculous?” Yeonjun said mortified of what this guy was saying of him

“Yeah, ridiculous” Soobin said as he pulled his tongue out to mock him

“What is going on in there?” A voice said outside the bathroom

“Do you want to know?” Soobin said loudly so that person could hear ad then looked at Yeonjun with a teasing look

“Uhh … Do I?” That was the only thing he heard come from the other side of the door

“Shut up” Yeonjun said to Soobin

“Then let me clean your wound”

“Whatever just tell him to go” Soobin looked happy as he won the fight they had

“Nothing! Just go back to sleep, I’ll keep it down” Soobin said to the other guy

“Yeah … sure” That other person said before leaving

Yeonjun then let Soobin look over the wound that he had in his left torso. This one was deeper than the others, he doesn’t understand how he didn’t see that one yesterday. It stung as much as the others cut that he had when they were getting cleaned, maybe even more. Soobin finished cleaning the wound and looked around the rest of his body.

“Are you checking me out now or what?” Yeonjun asked

“I’m just looking at your other cuts, prince charming. You know what now that we are here …” Soobin said as he removed the other bandages that he had

“Are you serious?” Yeonjun said as he evaded Soobin’s hands from removing his bandages

“Stop moving! You will wake everyone up”

“So what?”

“I will tell them how much of a prude you are”

“Don’t tell me that you aren’t. Come on take off your shirt!” Yeonjun said back to Soobin

“What?” Soobin said shocked of his demand

“Yeah, you heard me right. Take off your shirt; don’t tell me you are just as a prude as I am?”

“Uhh”

“Come on, I am waiting” Yeonjun said teasingly at him

“Fine …” Yeonjun didn’t expect Soobin to actually take off his shirt “Happy now?” Soobin asked him with a slight flush in his face

“Sure …” Was the only thing Yeonjun could say right now. Apart from the cuts and slight bruises that Soobin had, he must admit that he has an attractive body. Yeonjun was stone cold for the rest of the time while Soobin treated his wounds; he doesn’t even the pain from the medicine. Maybe asking him to take off his shirt wasn’t that great of an idea

“See that wasn’t that bad” Soobin said as he wrapped a bandage all across his body

“Yeah … right” He is still out of words

“You can go back to bed, it may be easier now”

“Aren’t you coming?” Yeonjun asked him

“I still have to finish cleaning my cuts, you can go ahead”

“Ok …” Yeonjun said as he prepared himself to leave the room, but before he did, he turned around and took the med kit from Soobin’s hands

“What are you doing?” Soobin asked

“Just shut up” He said as he removed Soobin’s bandages. He then cleaned and treated every one of Soobin’s cuts just as he had done for him. It felt strangely weird to be this close to another guy while they were both shirtless and in an enclosed space as a bathroom but he just ignored this thoughts as he finished his job.

“Thank you …” Soobin said as Yeonjun wrapped a bandage across his body

“Don’t mention it, really don’t. Everything that happened here stays here”

“Yeah sure. I won’t tell anyone”

“Just what the hell are you both doing!?” He heard someone say before that person stormed into the bathroom without knocking; it was Seojun, Soobin’s friend. He stared at them both out of words and frozen in time. Not only being in a bathroom with Soobin made a bad appearance, they were also both shirtless and close to each other

“Seojun-“ He heard Soobin speak before the guy closed the door shut

“I didn’t see a thing, go on!” He heard the guy say

* * *

After such an embarrassing moment, Soobin put on his shirt and left the bathroom to talk to Seojun. He went out to the living room and to the bedroom, as he didn’t see him there. When he entered, he saw Seojun in his bed, clearly pretending to be asleep. He went up to him but Seojun made a sign to his finger to keep quiet and articulated with his mouth that ’he understands’. Soobin didn’t want to wake up the others so he talked lowly to Seojun.

“Just go back I understand” Seojun said to him

“Understand what? There is nothing to understand”

“He was treating your cuts and that is all” Seojun said to him

“Don’t take this farther than it is. I know how dirty minded you are”

“Believe me, you two may be the most attractive guys in the world and I wouldn’t fantasize with you both. Just go back and finish what you were doing”

“I swear that if you tell someone”

“I won’t! Just go” Seojun insisted

Then the door opened and Yeonjun came into the room with his shirt on of course. He made his way to his bed and sat on it as he prepared to go to bed. Soobin left Seojun’s side and went to Yeonjun.

“Are you going to sleep?” Soobin asked

“Yeah, there is nothing to do” Yeonjun said back and looked right into Seojun’s bed “Is he going to …” At this, Seojun sat on his bed and made X signs with his arms to tell them that he won’t tell anyone, even he didn’t want to get on Yeonjun’s bad side “I see”

“You should rest, see you later” Soobin said to him “And you go to sleep!” That last part was for Seojun

“Yeah, sleep well” Yeonjun said before he went to bed

* * *

The rest of the day went by fairly quick as he slept for almost all of it. He just woke up to eat lunch and then went straight back to bed. This time he didn’t have nightmares or any dreams at all, just a normal sleep as always. There was still no word from the counselors about the lockdown and when it was going to end, but every time he looked through the window he saw less and less counselors looking around camp.

“Attention! We are glad to announce that there are no risks outside, if you decide to leave your cabin we ask you the favor of not going into the woods. We can confirm there is no risk inside our installations but please stay away from the forest until further a notice. You can join us in the main cabin for dinner later this evening. Thank you for your attention” One voice said through the megaphone

He still doesn’t know how to feel about it since he was a little traumatized because of the experience he had. While the others cheered because now they were able to leave the cabin, he along Soobin stayed behind in the celebration. Some of them went to take a shower right after they finished celebrating to go outside to meet with their friends, he doesn’t think he will do the same.

“Hey Soobin, let’s get ready and meet up with the others” He heard someone say in the bedroom

“You go ahead first. I can’t get ready that fast since I have to take care of the cuts and everything. Tell the others I will be there for dinner”

“If you finish early then come to the main cabin, I’ll make sure to be there with the others” Seojun said to Soobin

“Yeah just go ahead” Soobin said before his friend stepped out of the room to fight for a shower

“Are you really going out?” Yeonjun asked Soobin when they were the only ones in the room

“I must admit that I don’t want to, but I have to get over the fear. Though, I won’t leave early, only for dinner”

“Your friends might be waiting for you”

“I am sure that they can wait. I was planning to go to Tina and Hyewon’s cabin to take them to the main cabin when dinner came. They might still be scared, do you want to come?”

“Like an escort?” Yeonjun said mockingly

“Maybe”

“Yeah sure, I eat with them anyways”

“Then let’s make sure to be ready before dinner. It is still early so let’s sleep some more”

“Your orders not mine”

Without his knowledge, Yeonjun and Soobin had grown closer in a span of a couple of hours. This was something Yeonjun fought to prevent a couple of days ago but now that he has it, he doesn’t know if he wants everything to turn back to what it was. Maybe he doesn’t want Soobin not to be his friend.

* * *

“Are you ready?” He asked Yeonjun

“Let’s go” Yeonjun said back

They got ready minutes earlier, right now, they were just standing in front of the door for some courage before they stepped out of the cabin. There was nothing to fear since everyone was outside having a great time and there were no wolves around but something still didn’t let them go out.

He went and opened the door, he saw groups of people doing different things throughout the camp; some of them sat in group, walked, played soccer or any other sport. They were making such a big deal out of this. It was late but there was still sun in the sky, in a couple of minutes it will set and paint rose colors in the sky as it normally did. Soobin got to the porch and nodded his head to Yeonjun for him to come. As he stepped out, Soobin closed the door and they both walked across the field to Cabin 5.

From time to time, if people looked in their direction, they spotted surprised looks of the others students when they saw the cuts and scratches that they both had. It was impossible for them to avoid the attention they were getting since they were messed up and it was evident that something happened to them but at least no one approached them to ask questions. As they walked, Cabin 5 was closer and closer, he fully didn’t like the idea of going to that cabin since it was also Misoo’s but there was no time to regret his decision. They got inside the porch and knocked on the door for someone to open it. There was someone talking inside but they couldn’t understand the conversation. Then they both got scared as the door opened at an extreme speed and Tina and Hyewon ran through them to get to the main cabin. As a result, they both fell to the ground as the girls ran for their life.

“Hey! What do you think you are doing!?” Yeonjun screamed at them but it was too late, they were already too far away

“Yeonjun? What are you doing here?” He heard a female voice say “Soobin? What happened to you?” The girl said out loud

“Hi Misoo …” Soobin said awkwardly

“Did you two have a fight? Did a panther attack you while you were asleep?” Misoo said as she examined Soobin’s face up close

“Nothing like that, it was just bad luck” Soobin said as Misoo grabbed his arm as a support while she looked at his situation “You are kind of hurting me” he pointed to his arm where he had one of the cuts. At this, she lifted his sleeve to see the rest of his arm

“What happened to you?” She asked completely concerned

“Can you help me get up first?”

“Yes, of course” She gave him her hand so he could get up. Right after he got up, he did the same for Yeonjun who was still on the floor; he thanked him for that “Sorry Yeonjun, I didn’t see that you were hurt too” she apologized

“Don’t worry” Yeonjun said as he went down the stairs of the porch

“You should go to the infirmary. Why are you here?” She asked

“We came for Tina and Hyewon but apparently they didn’t need our help”

“They came late last night … Were you with them?”

“We saw them on our way to our cabin; we just left them here before we went to our cabin” He lied, kind of

“You must be the people the other girl saw when they came in then”

“Yeah …”

“You better tell me what happened to you but for now leave and go get treated to the infirmary. You really look hurt”

“Yeah we will go. See you later then”

“See you at dinner”

Soobin left the porch before Misoo closed the door to her cabin. He met the person he really didn’t want to see, at least not in this state. He noticed that Yeonjun waited for him all of this time in front of the cabin as he dusted some dirt of his clothes.

“Done?” Yeonjun asked a little annoyed

“Yeah let’s go”

* * *

“Yeonjun! What happened to you?” He heard one of the parrots ask him as he took his seat in the table

“You know what happened” He said back

“I didn’t know you were so hurt! You should go to-“ Tina tried to say

“The infirmary, yeah, yeah. Stupid infirmary” Yeonjun said

“Did you get attacked by the-“

“Shh! Do you want everybody to know? And no, this happened while we ran through the woods”

“I didn’t know …”

“Then you must not know about Soobin too”

“Soobin? Where is he?” Hyewon said as she looked around the dining room in search for him

“Hyewon! Look! His face” Tina said heartbroken

“This is all our fault, if we didn’t recommend going for a walk none of this would’ve happened” Hyewon said with tears in her eyes

“Yeah, true” Yeonjun admitted as he ate his food

“We have sinned, kill us gods from above” Tina said

“Stop being so dramatic. None of us died” Yeonjun said to calm them both down, they were close to nothing of crying

“It’s all our fault! We ruined his face!” They said in turns. Yeonjun looked at them with disgust; it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just plain embarrassing sitting in the same table as them.

He turned to look at Soobin’s table to see what he was doing, just out of curiosity. The other guys in the table seemed to be asking him a lot of questions. Even from where he was sitting, he could tell he was telling them the same story he has told their roommates the whole day. He was thankful that Soobin kept it a secret, if many people knew about it the trip may have been cancelled or even worse, the campsite could be closing. Everyone seemed very concerned of his friend’s condition; they checked him all around in search of other injuries. They won’t find them because he took care of them earlier, he thought to himself. He suddenly realized of what he was thinking and quickly looked away of his direction.

He still wondered if someone could take care of him as Soobin’s friends do for him. Beomgyu, he remembered, maybe he could worry for him. They were close friends after all, he even took care of Beomgyu’s injuries when he had them. Maybe this time he could do it for him. He searched for Beomgyu and waved in his direction to catch his attention. When his friend saw him, he made a surprised expression, not the type he expected. It wasn’t the worried surprise he wanted, it was the wow surprised one. Beomgyu pointed at his face and lifted his thumb as in approval. Did he think he was wearing make up or something like that to look edgy or more of a bad boy? After Beomgyu gave his approval, he took out his phone and took a picture of his face and then returned to the conversation he was having at his table. Yeonjun was speechless, he doesn’t understand why he asked more of Beomgyu, that’s just how he is, he should have known this would happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I haven’t finished revising the entire story but I am close to finishing, as you can see I haven’t changed the tags but that part is faster than revising the whole fic so I will leave it for last. I just wanted to post this chapter because I really wanted to write today and I like how the chapter ended up. Also, as I read the chapter “Salty” I noted that I didn’t thank you for surpassing the 1k hits mark! Thank you so much for that I appreciate you a lot! As I said, I didn’t thank you back then so I wanted to do it now, I feel so bad for not doing so, sorry for that. I hope you are enjoying the fic and thank you for your support! See you! <3


	20. Melting Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I recently created a Twitter account so we can interact with each other, my username is @kenthedoggo so make sure to follow me! Let's be friends! <3

“Hey you don’t look as bad as yesterday” Kai said

“I told him the same thing earlier” Seojun said, as he hate his breakfast

“You think so?” Soobin asked back

“Yeah definitely, your face doesn’t look as red and puffed. That nurse must be good doing her job”

Yesterday after dinner, he and Yeonjun went to the infirmary before returning to the cabin; that way they could get non-improvised treatment. Right after they entered the room, the nurse approached them with a surprised and worried expression. She asked them what had happened many times, but they kept telling the same story they have told everyone else. The nurse also scolded him a little since he was the one supposed to be responsible of taking care of Taehyun and that he shouldn’t be in this state. He apologized many times since she returned to the topic repeatedly. She didn’t focus so much on Yeonjun since she didn’t know him at all, only by far, but with him, it was different. Soobin had interacted in the past with the nurse a couple of times since he was there when Taehyun had his checkups so they knew each other enough to talk fluently between them.

The nurse was hesitant on applying stitches on their deepest wounds but decided not to since the healing process was going well and didn’t want to hurt the region more. Fortunately, he assured them that there would be no scars if they continued to care as they have done to this day. The nurse did the same treatment they have done before, the only thing different was that she applied some kind of medicine over the wounds before covering them up with bandages. It must be an anti-inflammatory or something similar to it since his friends say he looks less puffy and red. Before they left, she told them that they shouldn’t participate in lake activities to avoid infections and also gave them both the same cream she applied to them recently and sent them straight to their cabin. On their way back, he and Yeonjun managed to have a conversation without the awkward pauses in between. He was glad they were now able to do so.

“Anyway, how is your ankle? Is it getting better?” He asked to Taehyun

“Yeah, I can walk very slowly if I don’t use the crutches. It still hurts but nothing compared to what it was. I still have the bruise but it will fade away with time”

“I’m glad” He said to him

“I swear if today we don’t do something by the lake I am going to die” Seojun said in frustration

“Why so dramatic?” He heard one of the guys in the table say

“Can’t you feel it? The sun is blasting as hard as it can”

“I may die if we run or something like that” Kai said

“Hey … Are you thinking the same as me?” Seojun said with an evil grin in his face

“Maybe?” Kai said back with the same type of expression

“What are we thinking about?” Taehyun said completely confused of what was going on

“My friend, tonight the ice cream is going missing” Seojun said. Soobin was waiting for today to happen, he was getting excited

“What do you mean?

“Every time we come to this trip, on the hottest day, we steal ice cream from the kitchen without anyone noticing”

“Any flavor you want?” Taehyun said curious

“You name it, you get it” Kai added

“So … Tonight?” Soobin asked

“Tonight” The others said in unison

* * *

“I wouldn’t mind if that left a scar …” Hyewon said as she looked with endearing eyes to Soobin at the other table

“Me neither …” Tina said with the same expression

“Yesterday you were crying because the cuts in his face may leave a scar but now you are thirsting over it? Make up your mind” Yeonjun said to them done with their mood swings

“It’s just that, that one is special, it gives him a different vibe … kind of a-”

“Bad boy on a motorcycle!” Tina finished Hyewon’s sentence

“Exactly! Great minds think alike!” Hyewon said as she jumped with Tina in their seats

“More like stupid minds think alike” Yeonjun whispered to himself

“Don’t get so mad, it’s not my fault yours are not as good as his” Hyewon said to him

“Are you kidding me?” Yeonjun said. He was surprised as to how empty headed the girls in front of him were, he knew they were but they always surprised him every day

“He is getting mad, I guess he didn’t like that” Tina whispered to her friend’s ear. Not low enough since he could still hear

“I give up” Yeonjun said out of irritation and left the table

As he left, he could hear the parrots talking to him in baby tone so he didn’t leave the table, but this time he could no longer keep up with their personality. He too had a limit and this was it. He can’t believe his plan of leaving one parrot behind, Beomgyu, could involve getting to know two other parrots just as ridiculous. He should have just sat alone and none of this would have happened, if only he knew better. He was leaving the dining room but before doing so, he approached Soobin’s table.

“Hi Yeonjun. Why are you-“ He didn’t let Soobin finish his question. He got closer to his ear and covered it with one of his hands so no other person could hear what he was about to say

“If you end up with even one scar I swear I’ll kill you” He said. He didn’t wait for a response and continued his way out the room.

“I promise I won’t!” He heard Soobin say loudly to him.

He should have sat with Soobin right from the beginning now that he thinks of it; he seems to be the only one to get him.

* * *

On their way back, the group tried to keep themselves away from the sunlight. Just as Seojun had said, it was beaming way stronger than any other day. They will need sunscreen if they wanted not to become bacon by the end of the day. Each one of them ran through tree to tree to avoid getting roasted by the sun, walking in the middle of the path where there were no trees was an inevitable death. When they arrived, everyone served themselves a cup of water because of how hot the day was. Today they will leave the windows open for sure, otherwise the cabin will become a sauna. Soobin listened to everyone else getting ready while he stayed in the living room with Yeonjun. Yeonjun had arrived earlier as always and was ready to go. As everyone finished, he too got ready and treated his wounds once again after taking a shower. Earlier, the counselors told them that today was going to be a lake activity so he didn’t wear his swimming trunks because he wasn’t going to participate.

He along the others went to the lake where everyone was gathered and waited for the activity to start. Today’s activity was the perfect one to miss in his opinion, since it required all of the team members to swim and even submerge in search of hoops across the lake. He is glad he wasn’t participating because of obvious reasons. The only way he was going to be useful was if he grabbed one of the submerged hoops as he went down the depths of the lake. He looked for Taehyun since he too wasn’t participating. He searched for Yeonjun too but he found him in a lounging chair away from where Taehyun was. He planned to arrange some chairs and then to invite Yeonjun to sit with them.

“Do you know how to count? It’s only us two” Taehyun said as Soobin arranged the last chair

“I wanted to invite Yeonjun to sit with us … Is there a problem with it?” He asked

“Oh no, no problem at all. I just didn’t understand, I’ve never met him that’s all” He said in an apologetic tone

“He is nice, he doesn’t talk to many people that’s all”

“Then sure”

Soobin shook off the dust that was in the chair and was about to call for Yeonjun but he then remembered that he told himself to never pressure Yeonjun to open up to other people. If Yeonjun wanted to sit with them he would have done it in the first place, but he didn’t, there must be a reason why he didn’t. He doesn’t think that Yeonjun is avoiding them but that he prefers to be alone and spend his day this way. If he asked him if he wanted to sit with them that may leave him in a rough spot if he didn’t. It was ok to say no, but he fears that he says yes because of pressure. Maybe he shouldn’t do it after all …

* * *

He didn’t know what to do; he was so confused of what was going on. He saw Soobin take three chairs and arrange them together as if three people were going to sit, but right now there was a free chair and nobody was claiming it. Is it too narcissistic to believe that that chair was meant for him? He actually didn’t know and was having a panic attack because of one chair. If that chair was for him, Soobin would have said something to him but he hasn’t. But then, for whom was the chair if not for him? Definitely not for a counselor or anyone else really since everyone is getting ready for the activity. His brain is being overworked because of all of the thinking he has done in just a couple of seconds.

He doesn’t know why he cares so much because of that chair. If Soobin asked him to sit with them, he wouldn’t … right? It was normal for him to keep everything to himself and to be alone in times like this. So why is he so paranoid because of it? He would say no, of course; he kept repeating to himself. If he would say no … then why does he want to say yes so badly? He can’t deal with this anymore so he decided to go elsewhere; there was plenty of space in this camp where he couldn’t see that stupid chair.

As he stood up and turned away from where Soobin was he heard someone call out for him right behind him

“Oh … You are leaving …” He heard someone say, he knew who it was

“Yeah … the sun is hitting way too hard here”

“Well … where I am there is no sun … if you want you can sit with us. It’s ok if you don’t want to I unders-“Soobin didn’t even finish the sentence

“Yeah fine” Yeonjun said bluntly showing no expression in his face. On the inside, he was hiding his happiness

“Oh really? I am with my friend Taehyun; he is nice I think you would get along” Soobin said with a big smile in his face “But really if you don’t want to then-“

“It’s ok, It would be disrespectful if I declined after all the begging you did” Yeonjun said determined

“B- Begging?” Soobin asked

“So where are you sitting?” He said as he looked around as if he didn’t know

“Over there …” Soobin said confused as he pointed to where Taehyun was

“Oh … I didn’t see … are we going or not?”

“Yeah sure”

* * *

He for sure knew that Yeonjun was acting all of this time since he had seen him glancing in their way as if he was indecisive of something. That was what convinced him of asking him in the end, if he kept looking forward and not in his direction, Soobin wouldn’t have done it, he doesn’t regret his actions.

“Hey Taehyun, this is Yeonjun … Yeonjun this is Taehyun” He said as he presented them both

“Hi, nice to meet you” Taehyun said as he extended his hand at Yeonjun

“Nice to meet you” Yeonjun said as he took Taehyun hand and shook it

“I would stand up but my ankle is messed up. You should just sit, don’t make me the odd one” Taehyun said, in the last part he grabbed Soobin’s clothes and brought him down to a chair

“Ok, ok fine … I am still hurting you know” Soobin said as he got comfortable in the chair in between both of them

“Sorry …” Taehyun said

He took the chair to the left of Soobin and got into a comfortable position. It wasn’t as hard as it had been days before but in certain spots he still felt pain. The activity had started seconds ago so he hasn’t missed anything important, he saw as people got in the lake and searched for the hoops in it. He is glad he isn’t doing that, he didn’t want to take another shower after getting in the lake.

“Who do you think is going to win?” He heard Taehyun say

“I don’t know …” Soobin said

“Oh there goes the puppy” Taehyun said in a sarcastic tone “Swim puppy, swim, maybe not, you can drown for all I care-“ He then saw as Soobin hit Taehyun in the arm ”What was that for?”

“Who is the puppy?” Yeonjun asked them

“Hehe … It’s a nickname some of the guys put for Beomgyu” Soobin said awkwardly

“Beomgyu? A puppy?” He said in disgust

“You know … even if a puppy pees in your bed, you still love them” Taehyun explained “I can’t agree to that but that’s how it came up. No matter how many he destroys everyone always end up loving him”

“I see …” Yeonjun said, he couldn’t believe that that’s how people referred to him. It made him laugh a little thinking of it

After some time, he lost interest of the activity and returned to taking the nap he didn’t have earlier. Once again, he focused on the sound of the wind and trees instead of the commotion coming around him. Either did the other guys did the same or they kept quiet for the rest of the time. It didn’t matter, right now, he can understand what it feels to not be alone and if he must admit, it is better than what he thought.

* * *

“Taehyun … Wake up. Where is everyone?” He asked Taehyun as he woke up

“What?” Taehyun looked around also confused as to where everyone was

“Yeonjun … Wake up” Soobin also did the same for him

“What time is it?” Taehyun asked

“It’s time for lunch, if we don’t go now we will miss it” Yeonjun said glancing at his phone with his eyes barely open

“No one woke us up, damn such good friends we have” Taehyun said

“I am hungry let’s go” Soobin said

They walked to the main cabin in look for everyone. They entered the dining room and saw that everyone was having lunch; no one told them it about it. If Soobin didn’t wake up, they would have not eaten lunch today. The three of them grabbed their lunch and went to sit on the tables they normally did. He hoped that Yeonjun sat with them but he went to sit with Tina and Hyewon. He will make sure to sit with them for dinner, he hasn’t talked to them for some time. 

When Taehyun and Soobin sat on the table, the conversation was already ending. Kai and the others had the plan for the night all figured out and once again he and Taehyun were the ones not knowing what was going on. He tried to keep the others in the table but they left anyways, apparently, they wanted to go to sleep right after they finished eating. He understands since the activity seemed tiring of what he saw but it bumped him out that he knows nothing about the ice cream raid they were having. He had lunch with Taehyun and stayed in the table for quite some time. They did small chat about nothing in particular; this day wasn’t as eventful as he thought it would be. Maybe if he participated in the activity his opinion would be different, but as it is, he hopes time goes faster he is craving some ice cream right now.

He returned to the cabin and saw that everyone was asleep just as he had thought. When he left the main cabin Yeonjun was still inside but talking to Beomgyu and with their group of friends. He didn’t approached them since Sangwook was also there so he just left with Taehyun. After he saw that there was nothing in the cabin for him, he left and took a walk around the lake. This time he didn’t go far, he walked side to side, of what he considered close to the campsite. If other people saw him they would think he was crazy since he turned around every couple of minutes nonstop but he liked having some space for himself. He stopped and sat to look at the lake, it was very peaceful, there were barely ripples in the surface. The sun wasn’t as bad as it was earlier that day so he could bear with it. After looking at it for a long time, he directed his attention to the cliff. It looked much smaller from where he was standing, if it wasn’t because he has seen it up-close, he would still believe it isn’t that big. He remembers the dream he had like no other; in fact, it seems more like a memory than a dream because of how good he can remember it. He spent the rest of the day all by himself and his thoughts. After having very busy days recently, he finally could have inner peace. It was one of those precious moments when he didn’t want to be interrupted and took life in a slower pace.

* * *

“Where have you been all of this time? After lunch I lost track of you” Beomgyu said to him

“Just walking and sleeping”

“So nothing out of normal then”

“Same as always”

“Will you eat with us tonight?” Beomgyu asked excited

“I don’t think so”

“Fine, fine … It’s just that we are leaving in two days and I want to eat with you and all of the others”

“You shouldn’t dream so big”

“Whatever, I’ll just have dinner with you when we go back. We can even have a sleepover at my house on Sunday”

“Yeah …” Yeonjun said blandly “It went by so quickly”

“What? The trip?”

“I felt like there would be more time”

“To do what?”

“Nothing … I just wanted more time”

“I am done with this trip if I’m being honest. I miss my bed, Mr. Puffles, my mom, my house, everything … I can’t wait to go back”

“You have many things to go back to … I only have Ken … that must be why”

“You will have me …”

“How lucky of me” He said jokingly. At this Beomgyu bumped his arm lightly and he broke a little laugh

“It’s getting late lets go have dinner”

“Sure, let’s go”

Just as he has done days before, he said goodbye to Beomgyu when they got their food and each one of them went to their tables. He kind of misses eating with his friend but he does it every day back at home so the sacrifices he has done for most of this trip seem as nothing. As he walked to his table, he got surprised when he saw Soobin already eating with Tina and Hyewon. He didn’t expect him to be sitting with them, much less, that he would be there before him.

“You are late today. Where were you?” Hyewon asked him

“Doing nothing, just with Beomgyu”

“Ugh, sure” Hyewon said as if she hated his friend

“You don’t like him?” Soobin asked her “That other day you threw all of your breakfast at him … Why did you do it?”

“Uhh … well because … tell him Tina”

“Well … because …” Tina said

“Beomgyu made a joke about a member of a group they listen, apparently he is the most handsome guy they have seen” Yeonjun saved those two again “They went full out because of it”

“You must really like him then … What band is he from?” Soobin said

“Recently he was in a dating scandal so they decided to stop liking him all of a sudden” He added “Isn’t that just … so … despicable” He said as he smiled at the parrots

“No nothing like that, we still care for him” Tina said in between fake laughter

“You know … I don’t want to ruin your dreams or anything like that but … dating an idol is practically impossible” Soobin said. This made Yeonjun amused of where the conversation was going. He was indirectly telling them to give up on him without him knowing the real story

“They told me the stars were aligned with their destiny and everything” Yeonjun said

“Of course we don’t believe in such things that strongly. We know he is way out of our league” Hyewon said with a fake smile. She was also kicking under the table to where his legs were but he moved them out of the way.

“Ouch!” He heard Soobin say “Somebody just kicked me”

“It wasn’t me” Yeonjun said first “Maybe Hyewon, she has this instinct of hitting people when she wants”

“It was a mistake, I promise. I am not a beast Yeonjun”

“Anyways, their heart broke when they found out about the news. If you were here when it happened you could have seen their faces” Yeonjun kept saying

“Seems very deep to me …” Soobin said

“We weren’t in love or anything like that” Tina also said “It was just fun thinking about it”

“They also-“ He wanted to keep talking but this time Hyewon hit the bullseye

“Hehe anyways, how have you been doing? Are your wounds getting better?” Hyewon said pleased of hitting Yeonjun

“It’s going well. Now that I think about it, maybe we should do a checkup before we go back” Soobin said to him

“Would you like to go now?” Yeonjun said lowly because of the pain he was feeling

“If you are finished then yeah let’s go”

“I’m right behind you”

Both of the girls said bye to them, of course this time with a little of disdain to him and with a lot of care to Soobin. Just as the nurse told them before, they were healing as they should and that in a couple of days the deepest ones will cure themselves. He was glad that neither of them was going to have scars because of what happened to them, this way he will not hear the parrots thirst more about Soobin that they already were. He was also reaching his limit in this department, in the morning was because of how annoying they were but now the fan girling is throwing him over board. As they went out the main cabin, they noted that it was already shutting down and that there were no people inside of it, only by the second floor where the counselors slept. The walked to their cabin together just as they have done when they stayed out late in the dining room.

Midway to the cabin, he heard someone call out for Soobin in the shadows. He couldn’t see who it was since it was so dark but he heard as many people called for him. Soobin told him to wait for him and that he will be right back, so he stayed there as Soobin talked to the hidden person. Then Soobin returned jogging to him.

“Hey umm, I’ll go with my friends to do something before I go to the cabin” He could hear the sneaky tone he had while he said it

“I’ll see you at the cabin then”

“Alright, see you then … unless you want to come”

“I’ll pass on this one, I’m tired” He wasn’t interested this time, for real. He just wanted to get to the cabin and relax.

“Ok, see you then” Soobin turned to where his friends were but before he left, he went back to him “Just out of curiosity … What is your favorite ice cream flavor?”

“Uhh … mint chocolate”

“Ok … see you at the cabin, wait for me by the living room don’t go to sleep” Soobin said as he ran off to where the other people were hiding. That was such a weird question but he won’t think of it much, he just wanted some rest

* * *

“That’s the elaborated plan you have?” Taehyun asked all of them mockingly “I thought this would be harder”

“The counselors go to sleep way earlier than you think, only a couple of the actually do the rounds they are supposed to do” Kai explained

“What a life … imagine getting paid for doing nothing” One guy said

“So … we just go in from the dining room and that’s it?” Soobin asked

“Without making noise of course, at night when nobody is in there even the smallest sound can be heard throughout the whole cabin because of the echo. So just keep it low, let’s go”

He along the other got in the main cabin and slowly walked through the corridors until they arrived at the dining room. All of the doors were unlocked since there were counselors outside doing scouting the surroundings: they just had to leave before the last one came in and locked them inside. Taehyun and one other guy stayed outside making guard to alert them if someone was coming. Once inside the dining room, they jumped over the buffet bar into the kitchen making the less noise as they could. They looked around each second to make sure they wouldn’t knock off a pan or something that could make a lot of noise. Once inside, they headed to the huge fridges there were. They looked around the freezer and finally found what they came here for, ice cream. There were all types of flavors, it really was ice cream paradise.

“Hey what is this …?” Somebody asked “It’s a note”

“What does it say?” Kai asked

“Enjoy the ice cream, leave some for the other students. Hope you come next year”

“Are we famous or something?” Kai asked

“Seems like it” Seojun said

“Anyways, let’s get out of here before someone comes in”

Soobin grabbed the ice creams of blueberry and mint chocolate flavors and also took two spoons with him. As the others grabbed their choice of ice cream, he made his way out the main cabin. Surprisingly their plan went as smooth as it could have possibly be, maybe the counselors knew that they would come because today was a hot day but who knows. Once outside, they all shared cheers as low as they could and returned to the cabins. They would eat as a group but the counselors would catch them outside or when they figured out that somebody wasn’t in bed. He and Seojun jogged to their cabin, as they were the last ones since they were the farthest from the main cabin. They avoided being seen and once inside their cabin, they greeted Yeonjun since he was sitting in the sofa. They got near a table and took out the ice creams.

“Come here, I have something for you” He said to Yeonjun

“What is it?” Yeonjun asked curious

“Your favorite, mint chocolate”

“Seriously?” He asked surprised

“At your service, five star delivery” Seojun said

“Are the others asleep?” Yeonjun nodded to him “Let’s keep quiet, I didn’t bring enough for all of them”

“I am not sharing for sure” Seojun said as he dug for his lemon flavored ice cream

* * *

He didn’t expect this kind of gift to say it like that from Soobin. Of course, there was the weird question from earlier but he didn’t expect him to steal ice cream from the kitchen this late at night. It has been a long time since he has had mint chocolate, he missed it. Many people may say that it tastes as toothpaste but he really enjoys eating it. But what he enjoys most right now, is sharing this moments with his roommates. He doesn’t know Seojun at all, only by name, but Soobin made up for all that he has missed before. He is very thankful for everything that he has done for him, he is happy to have him as a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry I went missing for a couple of days but I am back! I have finished revising the chapters and have changed the tags of the fic. I just found out of one of my most common grammatical mistakes while writing this chapter so I will go back and fix them in the past chapters. I feel so embarrassed because of the mistakes I made so I will try to make a better job at revising them. Also, I didnt make any changes in the story so you dont have to go back to read again any of the past chapters. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for your support and for reading this far! See you! <3


	21. Uneasiness

“I thought Soobin was the beast of the group … How can you still eat so much for breakfast after having so much ice cream last night?” One guy of the table said

“Come on, you can’t get full just for eating ice cream, also, that was hours ago” Kai said back “I am sure one of this days the beast will return, it’s just a matter of time”

“It won’t, ever again” Soobin argued

“I think it is just taking a nap” Seojun said

“More like hibernating, that thing is like a bear” Taehyun said

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. What are we going to do today?” Soobin said to change the topic

“Well it’s Saturday … pretty much anything. From now on there are no activities”

“We are free!” Seojun said with a smile

“Oh right, I forgot which day it was” Soobin said. After spending almost two weeks in the camp, he had lost the track of time

“We still can’t do much since you are recovering and also because of Taehyun’s ankle” Seojun added

“We will be going for a checkup right after breakfast ends, maybe we will get good news” Soobin said hopeful

“My ankle is doing good, I can barely feel any pain. But in case we can’t just go ahead and do whatever you want. Soobin and I have done great sleeping in the lounging chairs so don’t mind us really” Taehyun said to their friends

“Yeah it’s not as boring as it seems” Soobin said

“Maybe we can spend the day by the soccer field, you know, we could have a picnic. We could also throw some frisbee, something like that that doesn’t require water or running” Seojun said

“That sounds good, I’ll go ask for the picnic basket for lunch. We can meet up later after everyone gets ready” One guy said

“We should go to the infirmary” Soobin said to Taehyun

“Yeah lets go” Taehyun said back

The nurse acted as if she knew them since birth. She had candies and cups of tea prepared for them, she was ready for their arrival. She checked Taehyun first, today the bruise has gotten smaller than what it used to be and Taehyun can now place his foot on the floor without feeling pain. It was a little difficult to walk but he could, just really slowly. The nurse recommended using the crutches for one more day and for tomorrow he should be as good as he was before the accident. Then, she checked him. She examined his cuts and their progress one by one, to check if any other had gotten infected. Thankfully, he has taken care of himself as he should’ve and none of the wounds were infected, in fact, many of them had fully cured and as the nurse told him, without leaving a scar. She also recommended him to do one more day of treatment just in case and that for tomorrow he could return to do what he wanted.

After the checkup, he and Taehyun stayed for a couple of minutes to they finished their tea, if they left without drinking it it would be disrespectful. As they were leaving, the nurse warned them that she did not want to see them in the infirmary again unless it was to return the crutches tomorrow, they said back that they wouldn’t. After he opened the door, he saw Yeonjun walking their way.

“Hey Yeonjun!” Soobin said

“Oh hi” He seemed lost in his thoughts

“Are you going to the infirmary?”

“Yeah for my checkup … Is she in?”

“Yeah, sure. We just came out”

“I see” After this they both kept quiet not knowing how to proceed with the conversation. They were friends but they always have these moments of silence in between

“We are having a picnic later, you should come for a while” Taehyun added “We will leave so you can go in and have your checkup”

“Oh yeah you should come, see you later then” Soobin said as an opportunity to end the conversation

“I’ll keep it in mind” Yeonjun responded to them as he entered the infirmary

* * *

“You are doing great!” The nurse said to him with excitement “I was worried that you and Soobin were going to end up with scars, I’m glad it won’t happen. We can’t afford these handsome faces to get scared”

“He won’t also have scars?” He asked her

“He is doing just as well as you”

“I’m relieved”

“You know it’s a little weird …” She said as she made a curious expression “The both of you are recovering in the same pace. It is like your bodies are synchronized or something. I guess it is like that because you had the cuts done at the same time, it’s amazing to see”

“The same thing happened to us both so that must be why”

“Just as I say to the boys before you, I don’t want to see you here ever again. Don’t even return for a last checkup, starting tomorrow, you can do whatever you want”

“Thank you, for everything”

“Now go, don’t spend more time here, go have fun” She said as she lightly pushed him out of the room. He hadn’t even finished his tea.

As the nurse closed the door behind him, he was left all alone in the middle of the main cabin. Everyone had left to get ready for the day so the building was empty in the first floor. When he walked, he could hear a like echo of his footsteps, that’s how empty it was. He went out of the cabin and appreciated the sun up high. Today was the perfect day to do nothing, relax and listen to some music without interruptions. He liked the breeze; it was cold so it made perfect balance of temperature with the sun. He finished the tea and threw the paper cup in a nearby trashcan. He walked forward but instantly stopped when he saw someone waving at him, he got closer to that person.

“Why are you out here? Weren’t you with your friend?” Yeonjun asked

“I walked him to his cabin, but came back for you” Soobin said

“For me?”

“Yeah, so you wouldn’t be lonely” He felt that Soobin was doing too much, being lonely was nothing new for him. It also felt strange since no one has waited for him just so he wouldn’t be alone, it felt new to him

“With pajamas and everything? What will people think?” Yeonjun said joking

“I don’t know if you can’t see but you are also in pajamas” Soobin said with a little grin

“Well … mine don’t even seem as pajamas” He said back to make a statement, even if it didn’t make sense

“Sure, sure” Soobin said “I will come back for you if I see you walking to the cabin all by yourself so get used to it”

“I like being alone”

“I can tell when you want to be alone, I won’t be up your business every time I see you. It just felt right to come back” They kept silence once again as they walked to the cabin, it may be awkward for other people but for them it isn’t like that. They just appreciate being with each other, even if they didn’t talk

“How is Taehyun?” He finally asked, even if he knew the answer

“Oh you remember his name. The nurse said that tomorrow he will be just as new”

“That’s good”

“What did she say to you?”

“She told me to never go to the infirmary again”

“She said the same to us. Let’s try not to make her worry”

“I will do my part, you better not go around playing with wolves”

“Hopefully that won’t happen again, I don’t think next time I could get out of it without”

“I know you can” After this, he could tell the expression on Soobin’s face change dramatically, even the air got colder

“I should just let it eat me instead” Soobin whispered, Yeonjun could barely hear what he said

“What do you mean by that?”

“Oh nothing, just a dream I had. It was more like a nightmare to be honest” Yeonjun didn’t think too much of it, after all it was just a dream; nothing serious to worry about

They arrived at their cabin and each of them took a shower, the others were ready to get out of the cabin. Soobin as always, finished first and went out with the rest of the guys leaving him and one other guy in the cabin. The other guy seemed like a loner, he stayed inside the bedroom with his phone and a book right beside him. He doesn’t judge him for being alone, but because he doesn’t go out. It was such a shame to miss such a perfect day inside the cabin; if he wanted to read in a silent place he could go under a tree and read there. It really bugged him when people stayed indoors on days like these, maybe is because he grew up in such a lonely house that he appreciates the calming sound of the outside. Anyways, he wasn’t staying there for long, he had things to do.

He was glad that the weather hadn’t changed in the couple of minutes that passed when he was getting ready. Without thinking twice, he went to the middle of the soccer field and looked for a tree away from crowds and out of the line of fire of the soccer balls and other objects that could fly into his face. He settled for a tree and laid there staring at the lime green leaves moving above him, he liked the color of leaves when there was light shining to them. He also enjoyed looking at the rays of sun that didn’t crash against the leaves and went down to the floor, it was a heavenly sight. He put on the earphones that he brought and played a calming playlist that he has saved for moments like these. After the seventh song or so, Yeonjun couldn’t distinguish reality from a dream. He may be asleep right now but he can’t figure out if that was the case. It was as if his soul was leaving his body but never quite went all the way. He has never felt this way before, maybe he was taking way too much sun and was hallucinating.

Suddenly, he felt a shook his arm lightly, like if that person was trying to check if he was asleep. The feeling he had seconds ago vanished as he was brought back into reality. It took a couple of seconds to regain conscience but he was back. He heard as that person called his name repeatedly.

“Yeonjun, wake up. Hey! Do I have to pinch you or something?” The annoying voice said

“What do you want?” He said irritated

“Ugh, I knew I shouldn’t have bothered. We are the others are going to go ride the Jet skis, do you want to come?”

“Beomgyu, do you really think I want?” He tried to control himself “Do you even know me?”

“I knew you wouldn’t. I just wanted to be sure, you know, you may feel some type of way if I don’t invite you to stuff”

“How caring of you but don’t ever wake me up to invite me to something. Much less if you know I won’t go”

“Fine, fine go back to sleep” Beomgyu said as he caressed his head mockingly

* * *

“Taehyun! Catch!” He said loudly to his friend. It was his turn to catch the frisbee. He and the others have spent a lot of time playing with it while they had a conversation. Many times, one person threw it way to far or in a different direction which made them all laugh and tease that person but Soobin was confident in his frisbee skills since it was one of the toys he grew up playing with. Because his family couldn’t afford expensive toys like videogames or anything modern, he played outside a lot with other kids. It was until recently that he got a videogame console for him to play with.

“Why are you so good at this?” Seojun said as he whipped the sweat from his forehead “Share your talents with Taehyun, he is making me run miles just to pick up the frisbee. I don’t ask for much, just throw it close to me!” He argued to his friend

“Jeez, just switch places then” Taehyun said

“Let’s switch then”

“I’m not changing, I can’t walk. Soobin needs to throw it to me”

“Then I’ll change with anyone else” Everyone else maintained their place since no one Taehyun to throw the frisbee at them. He really sent it flying miles away, sometimes deep into the bushes

“I will take a break, I’m getting tired. You guys can keep playing” Soobin said, he was feeling a little dizzy. Sometimes the world spun quickly and stopped suddenly, he felt as if he could pass out

Soobin went under a tree and drank some water to calm himself down, maybe he overheated a little bit. He watched his friends play and argue with each other when someone made a mistake. He liked doing this, appreciated the company and the friendship he had with them, even if he wasn’t part of the fun.

Soobin heard someone talk through the bushes, he turned around to see who they were. It was Sangwook and one other guy, he couldn’t understand what they were talking about but according to the posture the other person had, it wasn’t that pleasant of a conversation. He was standing as if he was taking orders from Sangwook, he didn’t even have his face held up high. Soobin could tell this is what his friends warned him about, sure, it wasn’t anything physical but he acted menacingly to that guy, it wasn’t a nice thing to look at. Any other time he would have stood up for that guy but now, he isn’t. He for sure won’t let it happen again, but he needed to talk to his friends before he acted, there is not much of a chance that he is wrong but he needed to confirm that what he was seeing was for real. Seconds after, Sangwook gave a couple of pats to the guy’s back and disappeared from his sight as he walked away to the direction the lake was, the other guy left right after Sangwook did in another direction.

* * *

Yeonjun was feeling torn. He was invited to have lunch with Soobin and his friends but that seemed too much of an overload people for him. He wasn’t too into having lunch with Beomgyu and his friends, much less, with the parrots since they were very annoying since yesterday. What had they eaten that made them that way? He could stay there under the tree and skip lunch, this was the best scenario to be honest. It didn’t require many people around and he doesn’t feel hungry at all since he ate well and hasn’t done anything that drained his energy. Maybe it was the best, that way he wouldn’t be in a position he didn’t want to be. He could make it until dinner no problem, he has done it multiple times, one more won’t hurt. Before he could return to what he was doing, he heard someone say his name.

“Yeonjun … Hi” One distinct voice said

“What do you want?” He said without opening his eyes

“Do you want to have lunch with us?” Another girl said “We want to apologize …”

“For what?”

“We have been doing you wrong lately. We want to make it up for you”

“How?”

“By … having lunch with us?” The first girl said shyly

“How would that help at all?”

“Fine … We are sorry, we will leave this basket for you. See you later” One girl said as they left the picnic basket by his side and turned around to leave

“Do you really think I can eat this much? Don’t be so dramatic and just sit”

“Really!? Thank You!” Both girls said

“Just don’t ruin my day; I’m having a great one”

“Sure!”

The three of them ate as they normally did, just without the teasing and the annoying jokes that the parrots did sometimes. He didn’t think they could control themselves but surprisingly they did, they were acting as normal human beings this time. Maybe he could act angry with them more frequently, they stop being annoying this way.

Time went by and little that he knew that the parrots were actually not that bad of a company. Right after having lunch, they talked comfortably of things not related to Soobin, other people or about any gossip at all. They must have really felt guilty. They even played some games to get to know each other better, but Yeonjun never lost so he barely said something about himself. In the process, he learned that Hyewon auditioned for multiple companies but wasn’t accepted by any. Also, that Tina has a collection of Hello Kitty that she refuses to give away. He had a fun time with them; after all, Saturday is his favorite day.

At some point, they ended the conversation and took a nap. Yeonjun had found the perfect spot to have it since he was there earlier. Many would think that sleeping on the ground is uncomfortable but he has slept so many times in it that he no longer feels discomfort. Much less now that he has a cover under him, it wasn’t much since it was a picnic cover but it relieved the itchiness of the grass. He was an expert in choosing spots to have naps so he always chose the best spots where insects like ants weren’t there.

When he woke up both of the girls were talking with each other at a different distance of where they were from him when they had gone to sleep, maybe not to wake him up while they chatted. The basket was already loaded with the leftovers and the only thing missing was the cover that he was using. The sun was going down and the lams across the paths of the camp were turning on. Once again, he had lost track of time, this day went by really quickly.

“Hey you are awake” Tina said. He nodded back at her

“You know, Soobin came by earlier” Hyewon said

“He did?” He asked

“He said he needed to talk to you about something” Tina said “We were going to wake you up but he insisted that it wasn’t that important and that we should let you sleep”

“He didn’t say about what?”

“No, he looked a little serious of it. When we asked him he wouldn’t say”

Yeonjun was feeling guilty; maybe Soobin really wanted him to have lunch with him. He may have done something extra and he wasn’t there to accept it. He doesn’t know Soobin that well but with everything he has done, it wouldn’t surprise him if he had mint chocolate ice cream for him. He wouldn’t forgive himself if the mint chocolate ice cream went to waste.

* * *

’Don’t do anything rash’ those words were jumping around in his head. Earlier Seojun told him that the guy he had seen was probably a new transfer that arrived walking to school at the beginning of the trip. Seojun and that guy arrived earlier than him, so that must be why he didn’t see it happen. It bothered him that just because of it, Sangwook was abusing that other guy, not everyone can afford a car. But what bothered him most was that he could have been that guy because he too had to walk to school. Not all the way like the other guy but it wouldn’t have matter, he would have received the same treatment that guy is having. He isn’t ungrateful to Taehyun because if it wouldn’t be for him, they wouldn’t have met at all. It just frustrates him that just because of that reason he had to go by Sangwook told him. Kai and the others aren’t the type to let this slip either, they just reassured him that Sangwook after a while loses interest or forgets that the guy exists. It’s just a temporary thing; they know it well since they have been with Sangwook for quite a while in school. Still, it made him uncomfortable. He planned to talk to Yeonjun about it but when he found him, he was asleep. He didn’t wake him up; maybe on their way to the cabin back he could talk to him.

Soobin served his dinner and went to sit with Yeonjun, Tina and Hyewon. He won’t bring out the Sangwook thing now since he wanted to think of something else and clear his mind of the mess. The girls were happy that he sat with him but Yeonjun kept staring at his food as if he was thinking of something. This time the chat was like the first day he sat with all the three of them, the girls talked the most and Yeonjun only answered when he was asked something. Something must have happened for him to be this quiet; he hasn’t been this way for some time. He decided not to make it that big of a deal, maybe he wasn’t feeling the conversation right now, he may ask later if everything is fine.

People started to leave the dining room leaving them alone in the big room with just a couple of lights on. He still likes staying out late, it was calmer this way. Of course, when there aren’t wolves chasing you all across a forest. At some point, a counselor came in and told them that they should go as it was getting late so they did. He didn’t know what time it was since he forgot his phone in the cabin once again, now that he thinks of it, he never brings his key with him. Ever since the prank happened, he gradually lost the habit of taking his wardrobe key with him. He said goodbye to both of the girls and walked with Yeonjun with a slow pace to their cabin. Yeonjun still wasn’t talking to him, it made him worry so he talked first.

“Hey Yeon-“ He said but he got interrupted

“Sorry” He heard Yeonjun say

“What?”

“I’m sorry, I should have said that I wouldn’t” He still wasn’t looking at him

“What are you talking about?” Soobin asked confused of what was going on

“I … didn’t have lunch with you … you must have been waiting for me” Yeonjun said in an apologetic tone

“What?” Soobin said between laughs

“Why are you laughing?”

“You were this quiet because of that?” Soobin finally said

“You are not mad?” Yeonjun said confused

“Of course not”

“I thought you would have …”

“No not at all”

“The parrots told me that you had something to say to me while I was asleep”

“Oh yeah but it wasn’t because of it. It is something different”

“What is it?”

“You know … let’s not talk about it now. It’s not that worth it. Today is a great day; I don’t want to ruin it, maybe tomorrow”

“About that …”

“Yeah?”

“I am leaving tomorrow”

“What? Really? Oh …” Soobin said bumped out

“Yeah … you will have an extra bed if your friends change cabins to ours. They can take mine”

“Oh right … are you leaving early?”

“We leave after lunch”

“Then … I’ll see you off”

“Don’t, really don’t”

“Why not? I have plenty of time since I will be staying here for another whole week. A couple of minutes are nothing”

“It’s not like an airport or something. We still have week left until classes start again”

“Whatever, I’ll be there”

“Do as you wish”

“Just don’t expect me to run for you with a bucket of flowers”

“Damn it, ice cream then?”

“Hmm I don’t know. If the cooks are distracted then … yeah maybe”

“Sounds good”

They went back to the cabin, but instead of going in, they stayed outside. They sat on the stairs of the porch and continued talking for quite some time. Every time they finished talking about something, another topic came out. This time it wasn’t like before because now there was no silence in between.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This another filler but it also has little peeks of what is to come. I hope you enjoy this chapter even if it isn’t as eventful as the others, and that you are having a good time reading the fic as it is. Thank you so much for reading and your support! See you! <3


	22. That’s What Friends Are For

“Soobin wake up” a voice said “Get out of bed! Are you even alive!? Wake up!” The voice continued. He doesn’t know from where it is coming from, he can’t see anything, all he sees is black. Then he felt as something hard hit his face and the side of his body, he grunts in pain.

“Ouch …” He murmurs as he tries to wake up “What is going on?”

“Finally, I was getting worried that you were dead” The same voice said. He opens his eyes and sits up straight; he still feels pain from hitting the floor that hard.

“Did you really have to do that?” He says as he looks at the person talking to him, it was Seojun “Why are you dressed up already? Are you doing the strategy again? Last time it didn’t work”

“You are kidding right?” Seojun said “Breakfast is over, you didn’t go”

“What? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“I did, remember? You told me to go ahead first and that you would go later”

“Did I?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know you talk while asleep. I brought a sandwich in case you were still asleep, lucky you that was the case”

“Thank you” Soobin said as he stood up and sat on his bed. His head is still spinning from the hit

“You should wake up Yeonjun, he also didn’t go. You two sleep like bears, get some help” Seojun said before he left the room

He looked to his left where Yeonjun’s bed was and just as Seojun had said, he was still asleep. Weird things always happened to them; maybe they weren’t as different as he thought. He stood up and started shaking Yeonjun’s body so he could wake up but he didn’t. Soobin called his name multiple times but still, Yeonjun wasn’t responding. He checked for a pulse or for his breathing, but it was still there. He may be in a deep sleep just as he was before Seojun pushed him out of bed. He didn’t give up in the morally way to wake someone up but after many tries he decided to go with Seojun’s alternative. He just hopes Yeonjun will be able to forgive him for what he was about to do.

He started rolling Yeonjun out of his bed and then when he was in the border of the bed, he did the final push. There was no coming back now. He heard a loud thud when his body hit the floor and a little grunt after that reminded him of his reaction. He went to the other side of the bed to fully wake up Yeonjun.

“Hey, wake up” He said to the almost unconscious body

“What the hell. Are you insane?” He heard Yeonjun say under the covers

“Yeonjun” He called for him as he shook him up a little

“What do you think you are-“ Yeonjun said angrily as he threw the covers aside and took Soobin by the shirt

“Hey, hey, it’s just me” Soobin said scared “It’s me, Soobin”

“What is wrong with you?” Yeonjun said. He then let go of Soobin’s shirt and placed both hands over his head, he must have a rough landing

“Sorry for that. There was no other way, you weren’t waking up “Soobin said sorry for what he had done, he for sure knows how much it hurts to fall out of bed “If it makes you feel better, Seojun also woke me up in the same way”

“It does …” Yeonjun said as he looked up to see his face, he still had a pained expression. Soobin then brought a hand over to his head where he could see Yeonjun was hurting and softly caressed it “What are you doing?” Yeonjun said as he grabbed his wrist and looked at him with surprised eyes

“I’m just checking” Soobin said “Are you … disgusted of me or something? Every time I touch you … you always move away”

“No … not at all” Yeonjun let go of him

“I won’t do it again, sorry for making you uncomfortable” Soobin brought back his hand to his side and stood up “Breakfast is already over … so maybe later you can have a snack or something by the main cabin”

“Yeah sure” Yeonjun said as he looked straight down

“See you later then …” He said and left the room

* * *

He feels so bad for what he did; it was a reflex he couldn’t control. He wasn’t raised with a lot of affection so physical contact is something he isn’t familiar with. His mother and his sister were the only people that have ever touched him out of care and love, he was familiar with them so when anyone else did it he reacts in the way he did earlier. Maybe this was a secondary effect of isolating himself from other people and the absence of his mother and sister in a younger age. He is afraid that Soobin will think that he has a past of physical abuse but this wasn’t the case, he was just new to it. However, what hurt him most for some reason was what Soobin said to him, he didn’t want Soobin not to be there for him, much less to not care for him, even if it was just by a touch.

* * *

“So … What are the plans for today?” He asked

“We haven’t decided, probably stay by the lake … or go for a swim. I don’t know” Seojun said

“Oh did Taehyun give back the crutches?”

“Yes, he is walking just fine. If only you weren’t in dreamland you would have seen him”

“That’s fine, I think I really needed that” Soobin said as he stretched his body

“Just finish eating and change into something so we can leave. You don’t have to shower we will go to the lake anyways”

“You can go ahead, this time I promise I won’t fall asleep”

“You better not or else I will throw you into the lake with whatever clothe you have on”

“Just go, I’ll see you later” Soobin pushed Seojun to the door

“Don’t go back to bed!” He heard before his friend closed the door

He returned to see the sandwich in front of him. He wasn’t feeling hungry right now, but his grandmother always told him to eat something before he started the day. He decide to eat half of it and leave the other half for later. The sandwich was nothing spectacular, it was just a sandwich, he couldn’t have asked for more. After he finished, he stayed in the sofa of the living room staring at the roof. He has never been inside the cabin with this much quietness, not even the first day was this silent. If he didn’t know that Yeonjun was still in the bedroom, he would have thought he was the only one inside. Soobin laid there waiting for Yeonjun to come out, it was weird that he was still inside the bedroom and more that he was this quiet. After waiting what seemed hours, he went to the bedroom to check on him, he also needed to change clothes.

He opened the door and saw Yeonjun right where he had seen before he left the room. He was still sitting on the floor staring at the floor. He approached him and looked at him curiously.

“Yeonjun?” He called for his name. Then Yeonjun looked at him surprised as if he had cut his train of thought

“Yeah?” Yeonjun asked

“Are you ok? It’s been a while and you are still here”

“Oh yeah sure … I was just thinking of something”

“Sure?”

“Don’t mind me, really”

“Alright …” Soobin then extended his hand to him so he could get up. At least he could offer his help to him to get up; it wasn’t invading his space like last time. Yeonjun accepted his help, took his hand and stood up.

“Thank you” Yeonjun said to him

Soobin took out the clothes he needed and went to change. He can see that Yeonjun is out of it today, he has never seen him like this. Maybe something happened before he went to bed or he got a message from home or something. He decides not to bother him asking what is wrong. It still creeped his mind that he was going through something and that he was keeping it to himself, he is unsure that they were that close to confide in each other. In any case, if he ever tells him something he will be there for him. That’s just how he is, always looking out for his friends.

He finished changing and went back to the bedroom. Yeonjun was still inside, but this time he was taking out the clothes he would use for today.

“Hey I left a sandwich in the table of the living room if you are hungry” He said to him

“Thank you” Yeonjun said

“Do you need help?”

“With what?”

“Well … You are leaving tonight”

“Oh … right” Yeonjun said discourage

“You seem to have a lot of clothes. If you finish quickly you can have the day free”

“You can go ahead, your friends are waiting for you”

“They can wait, I can help you first”

“No, no really you should go”

“Ok … I’ll see you later. Don’t forget I am dropping you to the bus” Soobin said positively, this wasn’t like the conversation they had yesterday. Today everything was gray and it made them seem like complete strangers once again.

“Sure”

“See you later then” Soobin said with a forced smile before he left the cabin

* * *

’Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!’ He screamed to his pillow. He waited until Soobin left the cabin for him to unleash his feelings. He always messed it up even more; it was like a talent for him. For these reasons is why he decides not to have friends outside of Beomgyu, it was too hard to open up to people. Not even did he stare at the floor like a lunatic for who knows how long and made a fool of himself looking like a complete freak but also pushed away the only person he has grown to want in his life. Why was it so difficult to not push people away? Last night it was completely different, he thought it would be like that from then on but apparently, now that he messed it up, they were back to the beginning. It took him two whole weeks to have one friend and in a matter of not even an hour, he has ruined it.

He is so ashamed of himself. Not only did he messed it up, he also did it on his last day on the camp. School won’t start for another two weeks, now when it does start, they will be complete strangers. Soobin might even avoid him because of how he acted to him recently. It could have been with any other person in the school and he wouldn’t care but why him? All of this for nothing, he truly feels defeated.

Yeonjun decided to take a shower to calm himself and clear some of his thoughts. He had the water as cold as it could possibly be, it distracted him from everything that was going on. Now that he looks at himself, there are no cuts, wounds or any track of scar that could prove what he and Soobin went through. It was as if it never happened, it broke him a little.

After the ice-cold shower, he returned to the bedroom to take out all of his clothes from his wardrobe. He looked around and saw that all of the beds except Soobin’s and Seojun’s had a suitcase over them. Everyone must be leaving tonight except those two, it made sense since they had more friends and more reasons to stay that him. After all, after tonight, if he decided to stay, he would be all alone in the cabin so there was nothing for him here. He took out all of his clothes and threw them inside the suitcase as messy as they were out of frustration. He really didn’t want to stay here for much long. Years before, he did what he could and organized his clothes to what he thought was good but right now he doesn’t have that amount of patience.

After forcefully closing the suitcase without it bursting, he left the room and went straight to the main door. Before he went out, he saw from the corner of his eye something over the table. Of course, he now remembers, it was that stupid sandwich Soobin left for him. He was lashing out his anger over anything that was near him. He wasn’t angry with Soobin or the sandwich but with himself, it was just a matter of bad luck that anyone dared to come in his way. He went to where the sandwich was and saw it up close, he didn’t expect to see a note beside it.

“Eat me before you go! >:3” It said, the scribble at the end of the note made him giggle a bit

All of a sudden, all of his frustration and anger disappeared.

* * *

He and the others went to the lake where they played soccer, frisbee like the day before and at times sat by the lounging chairs and talked casually. He enjoyed the company of his friends, he was also glad to see Taehyun walking like nothing had happened to him. At some point, he even got in the lake just as he had done days before, tiptoeing for dear life. Before he went in, he made sure that his cuts were healed and just as planned, they were and they left no scars. What he didn’t know is that many people were looking at him while he searched for his cuts; in fact, he was making a show in front of everyone near the lake. He has taken his shirt off with his friends and with Yeonjun but this time is his first time out in public because he missed the one activity that required being on swimming trunks and nothing else.

As oblivious as he is, he went in after his quick check without noticing the people looking at him. From time to time, he saw little fish swim around their legs. These weren’t as big as the ones deeper in the lake; they were even smaller than anchovies. The lake was in fact this clear; it was fascinating to see how clean it was. The guys teased him when they saw his posture inside the lake but he kept telling them it was for the joke of it. Of course, Kai glanced in his direction many times to confirm that he hadn’t gone too deep into the lake.

“Soobin!” He heard his name at the distance, it was Misoo

“Hey!” Soobin said back. He saw Misoo walking by the shore with a couple of her friends “Want to come in?” He said to her

“Be right there!” She said back. At this, some of his friends got excited and waited for Misoo to be in the lake with them. Then, she took out his dress that cover her swimming suit. He didn’t expect to see her in such a different light. He hadn’t seen her in a swimming suit because of how busy he was trying to figure out how to bring Yeonjun to his chairs back to the day the activity happened. How could he have missed this? She was truly beautiful.

“H- Hi” Soobin said as she approached him

“Hi, I’m glad to see that you have recovered” She said “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get in the lake”

“Well, I’m fine now” He said with a shy smile

“I see that. Thank you for caring for him” She said to Taehyun

“Not at all, he cared for me more than I did for him” Taehyun said back to her

“He is such a mom” Seojun teased him

“They are so funny” Soobin said as he pinched Seojun in his back. It was probable that everyone saw it because of how clean the water was but he didn’t care

“Are you staying for another week?” Kai asked her

“Of course I am. What will I do back at home? Are you guys?”

“Yeah we are” Seojun said happily

“Hey Kai, do you still steal ice cream from the kitchen?” She asked

“Oh yeah, we did it in Friday I think” He answered to her

“Would you like to do it again? I’m craving some ice cream tonight”

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” Soobin said before anyone else

“Someone is excited, I thought ice cream wasn’t that big of a deal” Kai teased him

“Oh … I mean … yeah sure” He said shyly, everyone else laughed at his embarrassed expression

Ice cream for tonight wasn’t that bad of an idea. If tonight was a regular night, he would still be excited to eat ice cream but he needed to get some ice cream out of the kitchen tonight. It wasn’t because he needed it for himself, but because he promised a certain someone that he would try to give him mint chocolate ice cream before he left.

* * *

“There you are” He said to the parrots “I have been looking for you”

“Here we are …” They said as if they were under a love spell

“What are you doing here?” He asked confused. The parrots weren’t the type of girls to be out the cabin and much less to be near the lake this early

“Having a piece of creamy heaven” Tina said without looking at him. He took one chair, placed it besides theirs, and sat on it. Out of curiosity, he glanced in the way the two crazy girls were looking. 

“Heaven? Are you talking about Misoo?” He could only see her and Soobin’s friends in a circle having a conversation

“Any second now …” Hyewon said in the same tone from before. He looked back and waited for this magical thing to happen. He then saw as Soobin went out of the water gasping for air, it was in slow motion. He shook his head to clear his hair of the perfect crystal-clear water drops that made sparkles around him. Soobin also pushed his hair back to clear his view from his wet hair. While all of this is happening, he can hear jazz music in the background and feel how his face gets hotter because of his flush

“You perverts!” He finally says as he snaps out of the enchantment. In the process, he smacks their heads lightly

“Ouch! That hurts!” They both say

“That’s what you get for being so thirsty! I thought you were over him!”

“We are, we gave up on being his girlfriend but we for sure haven’t given up on the view” Hyewon said

“Who could give up that piece of art work” Tina exhaled. At this Yeonjun once again smacked their heads

“Stop it!” He was blushing more but thankfully, the fan girls were paying no attention to him

“Leave us alone! The best part hasn’t come yet” Hyewon argued

“Best part?” Yeonjun said scared of what was coming

“We barely got to see it earlier, this time we won’t miss it for anything in the world”

“What do you mean?”

“Shh … There is no hurry” Hyewon said

Yeonjun sat comfortably in the chair and from time to time looked in the direction that Soobin was. He is glad that he decided to take out his sunglasses today, if he didn’t many people could have noticed where his eyes looked at. He didn’t want to admit it since it was weird to say it but Soobin really was attractive wherever he looked all the eyes were looking at him. Even other guys were looking in his direction; it might be because Misoo is standing beside him but it didn’t matter he could use it as an excuse too.

He constantly heard sighs and giggles coming from the girls beside him, he got used to it after some time but it still made him uncomfortable how they hunted Soobin with their eyes and possible dirty thoughts they were having.

“Here it goes!” Hyewon screeched

He turned to see where Soobin was and saw what had tormented him days before. It was his bare chest coming out of the water. This time it wasn’t covered with cuts or bandages; this time it was healed and smooth as it possibly was from the beginning. He heard the fan girls get excited and melt over what was happening in front of him. Not only that, all of the other girls that were around were also looking at him. He couldn’t believe that Soobin was taking so much time to get to where his shirt was. It was driving him crazy, he couldn’t take it for much more.

He stood up and went to where Soobin was as fast as possible without making a scene.

“Hey! Are you done packing?” Soobin asked him

“Here, put this on” Yeonjun said as he took his shirt off

“What are you doing?” Soobin asked him confused

“I want you to try this out” Yeonjun said as he struggled to put his shirt on Soobin, he wasn’t making it easier “There … It fits you perfectly, I thought it wouldn’t since you are taller but hey, it looks good” He said something to cover his weird actions

“You think so?” Soobin asked him “Oh look, you also don’t have any scars, turn around” Soobin said as he turned him around. Now he was facing the camp. He saw the face of disappointment on the parrots and also some other girls looking at him with flirty eyes; it made him uncomfortable “I am glad you don’t have scars”

“Yeah …”

“I’m sorry I ruined your shirt, I’ll give it back clean”

“It’s a gift, keep it”

“No, I can’t take it. What are you going to wear?”

“Then you give me your shirt. You ruined mine after all”

“I thought it was a gift …”

“So … where is it?” Yeonjun hurried him

“Oh … It’s right there, in the second chair”

“Happy Birthday!” He said before he ran to where Soobin’s shirt was to put it on

He grabbed the white shirt he had seen him wear earlier in the day and quickly put it on. It was a little bigger than what he was used to, and it smelled like Soobin but it could work for now. After finishing, he went to where the parrots were and sat in his chair as if nothing had happened. He ignored the arguments and the insults they were throwing at him, it didn’t matter, it was worth it.

* * *

Today his friends also picked up for a picnic basket for lunch. Having picnics everyday had its perks, this way they didn’t have to walk all the way to the main building and lose their spots by the lake. Right now, it was only them since Misoo left to have lunch with her friends. He wished that she should’ve stayed but still, the time they spent together was nice.

“Do you like it? He said it looked nice” Soobin asked his friends with a happy face

“Soobin … anyone would look good with that shirt on” Kai said to him

“Someone has a sugar daddy” Seojun said

“Sugar Daddy?” Soobin asked

“Nothing, nothing” Taehyun changed the topic “Why did he give it to you out of nowhere?”

“He said it’s for my birthday”

“Today is your birthday?” Seojun asked. Right after this, everyone started singing to him

“No!” He interrupted them “It already passed but I guess he wanted to give me something …”

“That’s … weird … it’s making me think if I should give you something”

“The one that gets him the best gift wins, you in?” Taehyun dared Seojun

“You are on” Seojun said back

“You don’t have to-“ Soobin tried to say

“There is no going back, a deal has been made. Let’s see who wins” Seojun said

* * *

“I hate you” Hyewon said to him

“Sure … sure” He said back every time. No matter what she said to him, his answer was always the same

“Why did you do that?” Tina said heartbroken

“Just eat, it’s not the end of the world”

“It really is. I missed a one in a lifetime opportunity”

“You do realize he is staying one more week here right?” He said to them both

“He is?” Tina said surprised

“Tina! Change of plans! We are not going back tonight!”

“As you say captain!” Tina said back

“Cancel everything we had planned, we will just do it here instead” Hyewon ordered

“I’ll start doing my calls” Tina said before she went looking for a place with better signal

“I’ll do the same” Hyewon said as she went with her friend. They both acted as if he was invisible, they left him all alone. Now that he thinks of it, he shouldn’t have said that Soobin was staying for another week. He can imagine how dirty and distorted thought they would have every time they saw him without a shirt. Maybe even while he has one on, now that they have seen what is under, who will stop them?

What will he do when they have swimming classes when school begins? There is no way of stopping that from happening.

* * *

“Attention! Those that are leaving tonight go back to your cabins and bring your belongings. We are leaving in half an hour. Those that don’t arrive on time won’t be leaving for another week. For those who are staying, we hope you enjoy the rest of your time here with us, as always, if you need something come to us. That’s it, continue as you please” One counselor said in the middle of the dining room

“This early? I thought it the buses were leaving later” Soobin said to Kai

“No … It’s usually like this. Is something wrong?” Kai said back

“I need your help” Soobin explained what he had to do. He needed to go inside the kitchen and steal mint chocolate ice cream in front of everyone but without them noticing. Kai said he was insane, but he made a plan. He just needed Kai to help him with it.

He needed Kai to distract the cooks while he went inside the kitchen on plain sight and stole the ice cream. After he takes it, he will throw it out the window and later get it. Of course, if he gets out alive. He didn’t want to disappoint Yeonjun even if he was joking the time he said he wanted ice cream before he left the camp. After begging Kai many times, he finally agreed. Soobin went and stayed near the door that led to the kitchen but from the lounge room of the building. He peeked the inside of the kitchen, when he saw that Kai called all of the cooks and distracted them with lame jokes, he went in. He crawled and tiptoed all the way to the freezer. When he grabbed it, he sent it flying through a window through the metal bars and made his way to the door. Some of the cooks were returning to their places since Kai’s jokes were bad, really bad to be honest. He got caught while he opened the door but as an excuse, he said that he was looking for the restroom and got confused. They looked at him suspiciously but let him go anyways.

He ran out the main building for the ice cream to where he thought he had threw it. He got sidetracked after he heard laughs and whispers coming from the shadows of the forest in front of him. Those weren’t scary laughs, they sounded like mocking ones. He can distinguish one tone out of all of those he heard, Sangwook was in there.

* * *

“Are you nervous or something?” Beomgyu asked him

“What?” He asked back

“Your leg, you can’t stop moving it. Are you also looking for someone?”

“Oh no, I just thought … nothing”

“It’s weird to see you this … anxious. Do you want some tranquilizers? I don’t know why I have some in my bag … Hey … Now that I think of it, Sangwook hasn’t arrive, are you looking for him? Are you guys friends now?” Beomgyu asked happily

“What? No, no” He said as he didn’t look away from his window

“You know … I can’t wait to get home. I miss Mr. Puffles so much, I bet he misses me too. I also want to have a nice bath in my shower, you know, one of those hot steamy baths that take all of your problems away …” Beomgyu kept talking about what he wanted to do when he got home and many more things but he realizes that he doesn’t want to go home. Earlier he thought there was nothing for him here but back at his house, there were even much less things for him. Of course, Ken meant a lot for him, but just as his friend says, ’they can wait’.

“Wait!” He screamed “I’m not going back!”

“What are you doing?” Beomgyu asked him surprised

“Take a bath for the both of us, and say hello to Mr. Puffles for me” He said as he took his suitcase and left the bus

“Choi Yeonjun!” He heard his friend scream at him through the window “I won’t say hello to Mr. Puffles for you, you hear me? I won’t! How does that feel?” If he is being honest, that’s fine, stupid Mr. Puffles.

* * *

The shadows that were deep in the forest slowly came out of the darkness still laughing in the same tone as before. He decided to hide instead of confronting them or simply stay out where they could see him. He grabbed the ice cream and stayed behind some bushes while Sangwook and three other guys passed.

“Let’s see if he can get it” Sangwook said as he laughed

“If he doesn’t he can walk right back to school. It’s nothing new for him” One other guy said

“First of all, let’s see if he can find it first”

“Hey we need to go the bus is leaving”

“Don’t worry Beomgyu won’t let the bus leave if we are not there” Sangwook said

“We should go anyways; I want to get out of this trash can”

That was the last thing he heard them say. They were now far away and he could barely see them walking to where the buses were. He could go back and fill his promise to Yeonjun or he could do what was right. Maybe Yeonjun will be angry with him, but he will make it up to him. Next time he will give him double the ice cream, there is no way someone can hold a grudge if they gifted you this.

He went into the woods with the mint chocolate ice cream still in hand and looked for a suitcase. He didn’t have to be a magician to know what they had hid; it was of course a suitcase, that’s the only thing a person needs to go back home. If they didn’t have it, they wouldn’t be able to do so tonight. He looked everywhere but in the dark it was difficult to do so, but then a flash of light caught his eye, it was there over a branch of a tree. He climbed a little and then brought it down. He made sure to have the ice cream and the suitcase, if he hurried, he could return the suitcase and say goodbye to Yeonjun.

He ran to the main cabin and saw a guy asking around for his bag, it was the guy he had seen with Sangwook days before. He ran to him and gave him his things. The boy must have thanked him and said many more things but his mind was elsewhere and he didn’t listen to what he said to him. They both ran to the bus and Soobin was barely able to make it stop before it left. The guy he helped went inside and sit at the front in the first seat he saw. Soobin walked besides the bus examining every window in search of Yeonjun, even the ones above. For those he had to jump but he barely saw the heads but that was enough to distinguish if Yeonjun was there or not.

He saw Sangwook inside looking at him with despise, it didn’t matter to him at all. Just as his mom said to him before he came to this trip, not everyone will like you but it is ok, there are many more who do and those are the ones that matter.

“Hey Soobin, are you coming? You can sit with me” Beomgyu said to him through the window

“Not this time but, is Yeonjun over there?”

“He bailed out, left me here all alone”

“He left?”

“Oh yeah. Don’t know why but he did”

“Thank you. See you later then. Have a good trip!” He said as he turned back to the cabin

“See you!” Beomgyu screamed at him as the bus started moving once again “I will say hello to Mr. Puffles for Soobin, he is a cool guy” Beomgyu said to himself

Soobin ran with the stamina that he had left. His breath was cutting short and he was sweating by this point. He doesn’t regret all that he has done, but he regrets eating so much for dinner. After so much running, he has developed a colic that hurts even when he breathed. He went in the main building and looked around for Yeonjun but he couldn’t see him. He sat on a chair so he could rest for a couple of seconds, now that he knew that Yeonjun stayed there was nothing extreme to worry about.

“You really stole the ice cream, I didn’t think you would make it” He heard someone say behind him, he knew who it was from the first word he heard.

“Ta Daa!” Soobin said as he turned around and extended his arms so Yeonjun could grab the ice cream “Happy non-departure day”

“Well … you basically ignored me when I called for you” Yeonjun said teasingly as he grabbed his gift

“What do you mean?” Soobin said still catching his breath

“I was coming back to the main cabin and you passed by running with … someone I guess, I don’t know his name”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, everything ok?”

“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later”

“Hey Soobin, are you ready?” He heard someone say to his ear as the person threw their arms over his shoulders from behind as to give him an upper back hug. He got surprised by this.

“M- Misoo” he said as he looked to his right to where her face was “Hehe ready for what?”

“For the ice cream thing … Oh I see that you already did it …” She said as she untangled her arms of him “Hi Yeonjun, I didn’t think you will be in it too”

“Hi … I don’t know what you are talking about, this is just …” He considered what to call the ice cream for a second “… a gift from Soobin” He decided to say

“What is the occasion, I know your birthday isn’t today? Did you win something?”

“Well he was-“ Soobin tried to explain but got interrupted by Yeonjun

“Yeah … something very … special to me” Yeonjun said, he didn’t fully understood what he meant by that.

“I’m happy to hear that. Is there something else you want from the kitchen? I’ll make sure to sneak it out for you as a gift too” Misoo said happily

“This is all I need, don’t worry” Yeonjun said back

“Do you want to come with us?” Soobin asked him

“What do you say?” Misoo said

“I … well … sure. Why not?” Yeonjun finally said

* * *

He must be going insane. Why is he here in the first place? He had his ice cream, and nothing else was missing but he decided to come do a mission with a bunch of people he has barely met in his life. If it wasn’t for Soobin, he would feel more like a fish out of water that he already is. He met Taehyun, Seojun and Misoo in the past days but only briefly, he can’t talk to them as comfortably as he can with Soobin. The excuse he had if anyone asked him why he was there was that he came to exchange his ice cream because the one he has now is partially melted. Thankfully, no one has said a word to him.

He followed Soobin, wherever he went, he goes. At this time of the night even the smallest sound makes a big echo in the building, it wasn’t like when he and the parrots stayed until late, this time it was to another level. He exchanged his ice cream and before he left, he grabbed a pack of cookies so he could make an ice cream sandwich. It would be the second time he will be eating a sandwich today, the difference is that this one is made of ice cream. Now that he reminds himself of what happened in the morning, he felt a little embarrassed like before but decided to move on from it since Soobin appeared to have done the same. Every time he looks behind him, he sees Misoo crawling just as they all are. He can admit that she is beautiful, if he didn’t he would be saying lies. It shocked him earlier when she suddenly hugged Soobin from behind and approached him so easily, they must have a good relationship.

When they finished their quest, everyone talked to each other and swiftly went back to their cabins. Tomorrow was the day everyone moved out of their cabins into the ones of their liking so he still shared the cabin with Soobin and Seojun for one more night. Misoo was carrying a bag full of sweets that she would share with the girls in her cabin, tonight the parrots will be eating sugar. He hopes it gets out of their system before breakfast, or else they won’t stop talking. All of the guys offered to walk her to her cabin but she refused so she went alone.

The three of them sneaked past the counselors making watch and entered their cabin. It was as if they were reliving the night two days ago, but this time he had cookies. He shared some laughs with his roommates if someone made a joke as they talked. Once again, he can see what he had missed all of these years because of how distanced he was from everyone. He still doesn’t regret it but now, he appreciates what he has. None of this would’ve happened if that guy that is wearing his shirt hadn’t come to this trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Once again, I want to thank you all for reading and for being here with me as I write the story. I didn’t think that this many people would be interested in it, so I really appreciate that you are going through this journey too. Thank you so much for your support. See you! <3


	23. Down the River

“Why are you so happy?” Seojun asked him “The day hasn’t even started”

“Oh well, you know, it’s a new day” Soobin said back

“You are happy … on a Monday?” Yeonjun asked him. They were by the living room putting on some shoes so they could leave the cabin to have breakfast

“Come on, the others are waiting” Soobin said with a happy smile. Whatever he had planned for today, made him really happy

The three of them walked to the cabin together. He was still a little quiet as always and only listened to the conversation the other two were having with attention. He has opened up more to the idea of having more people around him, and when he says ’people’, he means people that are nice to be with not like Beomgyu’s friend circle. Seojun kept asking Soobin why he was so happy but the other wouldn’t budge, Soobin just kept walking with the same glowing smile. He has seen that smile many times before, like when they won the competition, or when he went full berserker on the jet ski; it was a sign of true happiness.

Days earlier he had seen Seojun and Soobin be really close to each other, he sees it even now but he doesn’t feel the same as he had. This time he has accepted that the relationship they have is something he doesn’t want for himself. In the term that, it’s ok that he and Soobin don’t share that brotherly bond that Soobin has with Seojun because he acknowledges that he and Soobin have a different type of friendship. He can’t say which type it is since it is still abstract, but he wouldn’t change it because it is different and it is special for him.

He let Soobin and Seojun serve their breakfast first and he followed them in the direction they walked. Mindlessly, he had walked to the table where their other friends were, it was an awkward situation since everyone was looking at him confused and he just stood there processing what he had done.

“Do you want to sit with us?” Seojun asked him intrigued

“Oh … no, I just came here to remind you to … flush the toilet after you use it. You know … not everyone wants to know your whole business” He automatically said with the same stone cold tone he had used before with the guys that were forcefully unlocking the wardrobes of their cabin

He turned around and walked to the table he was supposed to be in the first place. All of this time the table he had left remained silent, not even a murmur could be heard. Before he took a sit he listened all of the people sitting there laugh at full capacity. It was so embarrassing, his ears tuned red and he sweat a little. Even though they weren’t making fun of him but of Seojun, he still felt ashamed of what he had done. Seojun has never not flush the toilet after he finished using it, his mind just came out with that lie and before he knew it, he had already said it. He will apologize to him someday, he will really, but not today or this year, maybe the next.

“Did you tell them a joke? Come on tell us” Hyewon said to him

“I will talk of unicorns if you want but I won’t say a word of what just happened” Yeonjun said to them both

“Mondays don’t go well with you. I have never seen you in a good mood on Monday” Hyewon said

“Well the first Monday we had, he seemed just fine, remember? He even said he believed in us or something like that but never said for what. That is the most charitable he has been this whole trip” Tina said

“If I just had shut up and not gotten involved with these two” Yeonjun said lowly as he covered his ears which where beaming red

“Hi!” He heard someone say “Sorry I’m late”

“Don’t worry; we saw that you were busy back in the cabin. Is everything alright?” Tina said

“Everything is fine, my mother called so I had to answer. Sorry Yeonjun, I always say hi to you last. I’ll make sure to say hi to you first next time” Misoo said as she took a seat at their table. What was she doing here? “I hope I don’t bother you if I sit here, it’s only for breakfast I promise”

“I am just surprise, don’t mind me” He said to her

“Yesterday Misoo came back to our cabin with a bunch of snacks and ice cream. We got to know each other better as we ate”

“You have been together for two weeks and this is the first time you talk?” He asked them with a mocking expression

“We know each other since first grade, but we had never talked as much as yesterday” Misoo said “If I knew you guys were so much fun I could’ve been your friends way earlier”

“What are you saying? You are making me blush” Hyewon said as she covered her face

“After we finished eating what I brought back we three came back for more food. The other girls stayed at the cabin, that’s why I like them so much” Misoo said

“You stole food from the kitchen?” Yeonjun asked surprise that they committed the same crime as he had

“Don’t try to act all innocent. We know you also did so don’t even begin with your daily lecture” Tina said as she ate some strawberries

“Daily lecture?” Yeonjun said astonished. The parrots nodded while making silly faces at him and Misoo giggled at it

“He has a bad attitude, you can’t even imagine” Hyewon spoke to Misoo

“I don’t know, this trip he has not been as grumpy as he was” Misoo tried to defend Yeonjun … but grumpy? Is that what people thought of him? Grumpy?

“Soobin must be an exorcist. Though he hasn’t finished his work apparently” Tina said lowly “Maybe by the end of the trip he will be done” Since when did they have the permission to say those things in front of him? Has he lost their respect? To be honest it has been more than a week since he had lost it

“Talking of Soobin … Have you made a decision?” Tina asked her curiously. This question took his attention completely

“I don’t know … He may not think the same I do” Misoo said as she fixed her hair “We always are close to do it but something always gets in the way”

“He clearly wants to, I have seen how he looks at you” Tina encouraged her

“Yeah?” Misoo said shyly

“What … are you talking about?” Yeonjun entered the conversation

“Of what else” Hyewon did a stupid face “Misoo wants to ask Soobin out today, it is their two-week anniversary of knowing each other”

“Oh … really? Then, good luck” Yeonjun said as he thought of what was going on

“You should do it! Just see” Tina said. Then she called for Soobin who was a couple of tables away from them. Soobin turned around and as fast as he saw Misoo he did the same smile he saw this morning.

After all … those smiles weren’t for him but for someone else.

What other people don’t know but he knows perfectly is that … today is also his two-week anniversary.

* * *

“Do I look good?“ He asked his friend

“As good as you can with those clothes” Seojun said back with a grin in his face

“Hey! Then give me some of yours. You have nice clothes”

“In life I can share whatever you like but not my clothes” Seojun said “You are just fine, she met you this way, she likes you for you not because of your clothes. Otherwise she would be with someone else”

“You think so?”

“I know so” Seojun comforted him “You can ask Yeonjun too”

“Yeonjun … What do you think?” He asked his friend. Yeonjun was in his bed scrolling through his cellphone. He then peeked at him and returned to what he was doing.

“You are fine” Yeonjun said briefly

“See! If Yeonjun says you are fine, you are fine” Seojun said to him

“I guess” He wasn’t wearing a suite or any fancy clothes, he just searched for the best shirt and shorts he had brought. He had to look acceptable at least for today, he felt something special was going to happen today. Even if he didn’t have much, he will make the most out of it.

* * *

Maybe not leaving last night was a mistake, a big one. It must be because it’s Monday, right? He has always felt that Mondays were cursed for him, he can’t think of a good Monday even if he goes back years back. He could be home with Ken, doing something at least. He is feeling down today, he just wants to be alone.

Extreme circumstances lead to extreme remedies. Yeonjun was doing one of the things he hated most, he went fishing. Anything to clear his mind of the busy thoughts and the mess that was going on inside his brain. Not only did he go fishing, he convinced the parrots to go with him. Tina and Hyewon were against it at first, but then Yeonjun had to go with his most useful tactic in his disposal, lying. He told them that Soobin liked girls that knew how to fish, and something along the lines of having good memories of fishing with his family. He still couldn’t understand how they did everything for him when moments ago they were cheering for their strongest adversary. It was just madness. If he had someone he liked, he wouldn’t let them go just because he was in disadvantage.

Saying he want fishing was saying too much, in reality he just rowed to the middle of the lake and rested in the kayak. The other two took fishing as a competition and from time to time argued with each other but most of it they remained concentrated on their fishing rod. 

“Did we have fish for dinner?” Tina asked

“I don’t remember, why?” He said back. He was having some of his me time but doing small chat didn’t hurt

“There is nothing in this lake. It’s like they all the fish went away”

“We have been here for more than an hour” Hyewon said as she tried not to fall asleep

“Let’s go back, there is too much sun anyways” Tina said. To this, all of them returned to land. He could be there floating around in his kayak for longer but if he was left alone, he would return to overthinking once again “We didn’t prepare a picnic this time. We have to go back all the way to the main cabin”

* * *

Today hasn’t been as special as he thought it would be. He has spent all of the morning with his friends instead of Misoo. Wherever he looked, she wasn’t there. He even went for a walk and lied multiple times saying that he needed to go to the bathroom, but everywhere he went he couldn’t find her. He asked his friends what he missed every time he came back but they never mentioned something related to what he wanted to hear. Hopefully the important plan will go well instead of everything that had happened, more like everything that hadn’t happened. He and Taehyun went to the main cabin to get the picnic basket they will use for lunch; they forgot to grab it before they left. Soobin planned to have lunch with Misoo, he even asked for another basket just for them but he hasn’t seen her since breakfast. Maybe he should’ve told her back then but how would he have known that she was going to disappear?

As they got closer, he saw her standing in front of the main cabin with a picnic basket at hand. She seemed to be waiting for someone. He got discouraged by seeing her with the basket, she must have other plans for lunch. He still wanted to talk to her for some time, maybe dinner they could have it together. While Taehyun went ahead and grabbed a basket, he stayed behind to talk to Misoo.

“Hey …” He said awkwardly

“Hi!” Misoo said excited “Are you grabbing lunch?”

“I came here for a basket with Taehyun. I see you too are going to have a picnic”

“You could say that …”

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“Actually …” She looked straight into his eyes with a different feeling he has never felt come from her “I am just here waiting for some friends” She finally said

“Oh … I see”

“You should go ahead, don’t miss time here with me. Your friends must be hungry”

“I don’t really mind Taehyun can go first-“ He tried to explain

“No, no, don’t worry”

“Ok …” He said before he turned around and went to where Taehyun was. Ugh, he had screwed up, but what could he say in this situation ’Hey have lunch with me and drop your friends?’. It isn’t of him to say that, but he says it anyways “Hey Misoo”

“Yes?”

“Would you … have lunch with me?” Soobin said

“Really? Sure” She said happily “Let’s go”

“But … isn’t that for your friends?”

“Oh … yes … they were supposed to be here by now … maybe I should leave it back in the kitchen”

“I can wait for them with you, it doesn’t matter” He shushed Taehyun with his hand so he could go without him; his friend in response winked at him.

“No, no, they always get lost and do unnecessary things. It will take a while, we can leave this behind I am sure they will get it”

“Are you sure? But what if-“ He got interrupted by Hyewon

“Hi! Thank you for taking the basket, Tina had to go to the bathroom so we took a little longer. Are you coming?” Hyewon said loudly

“Oh … Oh! Yeah! … The basket of course here take it … I won’t be having lunch with you, but with Soobin” She said in a weird tone

“How lovely! You should go, I am sorry for making you wait. But … what are you eating? You don’t have a basket” Tina said as she pushed Hyewon

“We have a basket, don’t worry” He said shyly

“Ahh, I see” Hyewon said as she caught up with Soobin’s plan “Well then, let’s go Tina” She grabbed her friend and dragged her to the distance leaving the two of them alone

After Soobin took the basket, he made Misoo cover up her eyes. If his memory is good, and if he followed Kai’s directions from earlier they should be arriving soon. He wouldn’t say he is a perfectionist or a romantic so to say, but if he was going to do something, he tried his best to do the best he could. After some minutes and some stumbles along the way, they had arrived. It was the location Misoo showed him two weeks ago, but this time it was daytime instead of night.

“You remembered” Misoo said to him

“Of course, and also this” He said as he took out a rose from the basket

“A rose? Where did you get one out here?”

“Let’s just say I found it” In reality, he took the rose from one vase from the main cabin lounge room

The two of them sat and had lunch while they casually talked. They could talk about anything, just as he has done with his most close friends. They had a synergy that just felt right. Even after finishing lunch, they decided not to leave as the conversation went on.

“I didn’t know you could see the cliff from here. That night I couldn’t see it” He says as he noticed the cliff far away

“You know about it?”

“I went there with Yeonjun one day”

“But … Do you know about it?” She kept asking

“Is there … something to know about?”

“Some people say that the cliff is cursed and others that it is blessed” She explained

“But … why?”

“There is a legend that not many people know. It said that as the sun touched the horizon and the sky painted red, a woman was being hunted by a pack of hungry wolves. At some point, the woman came across the river of the cliff and in desperation, she tried to cross it. She tried as hard as she could but the current was so strong that she was dragged by the water on to the rocks at the bottom of the cliff, killing her instantly. The people that say that it is cursed say so because they believe the story just as I told you; but the people that say it is blessed is because they believe in another version of the story. In their version, there was no woman, but a witch and there were no wolves but witch hunters. After following her through the woods, they finally managed to corner her. The witch just as the woman from the first story, decided to cross the river and just as before, the witch died because she didn’t cross the river”

“But what about the cliff? Now there is a wall of stones that stop the current”

“Just as before, there are two versions. The first one says that the humans built it to prevent another innocent life to be lost to the current of the vicious river, while the other says that the witch built it in her last moments of life, so in case another witch was persecuted, she could cross it”

“In which do you believe?”

“I don’t believe in those stories, they are just legends after all”

“Right …”

* * *

“I can’t believe him; he really is getting on my nerves”

“Maybe we are being bad friends Hyewon” Tina said “He doesn’t seem to be having a good day”

“He never seems to have a good day Tina. Every day is always the same”

“You can tell that something happened, ever since morning he looked out of it. Like … lost. After he got that text message he became really off”

“For all I know he can go away and get lost if he wants. I won’t go after him”

“I’m just saying. He shouldn’t have left that way, who knows where he is now”

* * *

“Maybe we should leave now, it’s getting cold” He said to Misoo

“Yeah, it’s getting chilly out here”

“We can wait by the main cabin until dinner”

“Yeah sure”

After hours of talking and admiring the view the lake gave them, they decided to return now that the day was ending and the night grew closer with its freezing breeze. It was getting windy but there were no cloud storms around, in fact, there were none in the sky. Every time he looked up, he could see the slight degraded blue colors. There was no pink or yellow still but he could see not much time was needed until they appeared. As they walked back through the same path that led them before, he could hear the branches of trees waving and moving suddenly due to the occasional wind current. It didn’t took long to return since this time Misoo wasn’t blindfolded and they both knew the way back. As they came in view with the soccer field, he saw as the light bulbs across the campsite started to turn on. He liked seeing it happen, he can’t point out why but he likes it.

“Soobin!” He heard someone say his name loudly “I have been looking for you” Tina said as she recovered her breath

“What is it? Did something happen?” He asked

“Is everything ok?” Misoo asked

“Have you seen Yeonjun?” Tina asked

“No … I thought he was with you. Why?”

“He left us after lunch. He got a text message and he got angry all of a sudden. We haven’t seen him since then and … it’s getting late” Tina said concerned

“Where have you looked?” Soobin asked her

“Everywhere I’m telling you” Tina said frustrated “He isn’t … here” He could now understand why Tina is so scared, he must have gone to the forest outside the campsite

“Have you told any counselors?” Misoo asked

“No … I don’t want him to get in trouble” Tina said

“Where is Hyewon?” He asked seriously, he also didn’t like the idea of Yeonjun being in the woods all by himself

“She is still looking. She will send me a text if she finds him”

“Send me a text if you find him, I’ll go look for him” It was a miracle that he had brought his phone today with him

“I’ll search for him too” Misoo said

“Be careful” Tina said to him, he understood why

“You too” He said to them both

Soobin without a doubt knew where Yeonjun had gone, if Tina and Hyewon were right. Before following the path that led him inside the forest, he took a breath and ran into the dark. He followed the advice both Kai and Yeonjun gave him while exploring this part of the camp. He never lost track of the lake and where it was and also to never go off the path he was following. They said that if he went down a path that seemed more accurate, that one would lead him in a different way, that is why many people get lost in here. After taking this route twice before, he can remember the way and he can recognize certain places so he was still going in the right direction.

He started to become scared when he noticed that time was going faster than he thought and the day was ending with every step he took. Before he left, he couldn’t see any pink on the sky but now he can. Not only this scared him, since he can perfectly remember the bad experience he had in this place. He had the feeling that someone was following him but every time he looked back, there was nothing. As he ran, he checked his phone in case he had missed a text message that told him that they had found Yeonjun so he could turn back and be somewhere he felt safe, but he still hasn’t received one. Everywhere he looked reminded him of that day, he really wants to get out of here as soon as possible but he won’t leave until he finds Yeonjun.

He was running over the slopped terrain, this was a good sign; he remembers that he and Yeonjun did this. He struggled to get to the top but thanks to the adrenaline, he managed to get there. After moving some bushes around to clear his view, he saw what he wanted to see, Yeonjun.

“Yeonjun” He said with the little breath he had. Yeonjun turned and jumped when he heard him

“What are you doing here?” Yeonjun asked surprised

“What do you think? Looking for you”

“The parrots must have told you” Yeonjun said as he turned back his view to the river

“They are very scared. They have been looking for you too” Soobin took out his phone and sent a message to Tina and the other two that said he had found Yeonjun

“They spammed my phone with texts. Thank god my phone died after a while”

“Why are you here?” Soobin said as he took a seat on the floor besides Yeonjun

“Just wanted to be alone” Yeonjun said

“We should go back, it’s getting late” He gets a text from Tina thanking him

“You can go, I’ll be back later”

“I’m not leaving you here”

“You have things to do, just go back. I’ll be fine”

“I guess I’ll have to stay here with you” Soobin was still scared of being out here but he was more scared of leaving his friend behind

“Your friends will worry …”

“No they won’t, Tina will say something to them I’m sure” Soobin said as he got comfortable

“Misoo is waiting for you also. Isn’t it your anniversary or something?”

“Yeah it is. But …”

“But?” Yeonjun asked confused

“It is also my anniversary with you” Soobin said as he smiled

* * *

He thought those smiles weren’t for him earlier that day, but finally, he knows this one is

“So … what are we looking at?” Soobin asked him

“The river, the sunset … and the lake” He said as he returned to have full consciousness “We will see the stars if we stay a while longer”

“Did you know that this river has a legend?” Soobin asked him

“I didn’t”

“Misoo told me today, apparently there are two versions of the story. Do you want to know?” Soobin said curious

“Fine, there is not much to do anyways”

“I am sure this time I am also begging you so I can tell you the story” Soobin teased him “Thank you for letting me”

“Sure, sure … Are you going to tell it or not?”

He listened carefully to the legends that Soobin told him, in the meanwhile, he imagined them happening in front of him. He enjoyed storytelling; it set him free of the real world and transported him into another world. That is one of the reasons he liked daydreaming and having dreams in general. Though he was confused of these stories, how could they be so different and similar at the same time? One seems narrated from the human’s point of view and the other from the witch’s.

“So? Did you like them?” Soobin said as he finished

“They were fine” Yeonjun said as he hid his excitement from the stories

“Yeah, yeah” Soobin said mockingly, he for sure knew he was bluffing “If you had to believe in one, which would it be?”

“I don’t know, the endings don’t make sense to me”

“Why?”

“At the end both stories build the damn so the woman or witch could cross, but that doesn’t stop the wolves or the hunters of following after them” He explained “The story would just continue to be the same”

“I never thought about that … you just ruined it for me”

“What? Because there is no happy ending?”

“Yeah … I also want to have a happy ending. Even if I am a witch”

“Wow, you really got into the story, didn’t you?” He teased him “It’s just a story”

“I know, I know”

“Do you want to have a happy ending, now?” Yeonjun asked him curious

“What do you mean?” Soobin asked him

“If you cross the river with me, we will go back to the camp right after”

“Swimming? Are you insane? I am freezing right now”

“Of course not. There is a boat a little upstream”

“I don’t know …”

“Come on, do you trust me?” Soobin was hesitant for some reason

“Whatever, let’s go” Soobin said back

* * *

He and Yeonjun walked upstream to find a boat; and just as Yeonjun had told him, there it was. It was a little old, made of wood boat. You could see that it has been through some rough times but it can definitely handle two people in it. Soobin was insecure of doing this since he doesn’t know how to swim and Yeonjun told him days before that this river was deep enough to swim freely. He then remained calm since the river was static and he had been boating in the lake, which was by far deeper than this.

Both of them moved the boat to shore and got in. With a push of the paddle, they separated themselves from this edge of the river and navigated to the middle of it.

“Look up, the stars” Soobin said as he admired the view from the sky

“I have never seen the night sky so clear” Yeonjun said

“It must be really late now”

“Probably nine, we still have half an hour”

“We won’t make it in time anyways” Soobin said “Let’s just enjoy it for a while”

“Sorry for making you come here”

“Doesn’t matter, I am just glad you are ok” he looks at Yeonjun “Is everything ok?”

“I just got some news I didn’t expect, that’s all”

“I see … next time stay under a tree, or by the lake. You made many people worry” He lectured him. Yeonjun could have done this a month before and no one would notice he wasn’t in the camp but now, everything is different.

“You know …” Yeonjun started to say

“Yeah?” He asked for him to continued

“I … never thanked you”

“For what?” Soobin asked

“For being my friend” Yeonjun said as he smiled at him

* * *

Just as he finished talking, a loud crack caught Yeonjun’s attention. One board of the base broke and water started filling the boat. Both of them looked at each other in panic and with their hands started to remove what they could of water. This wasn’t working and nothing seemed to stop the water of rising. In just a couple of seconds, it was over their ankles and the boat started to go down as the weight increased.

“What do we do?” Soobin said scared

“We will have to swim. The boat will sink” Yeonjun said “Jump off”

Just as Yeonjun was about to leave the boat, the current of the river started to become fierce. There were waves and streams of water coming at them. The boat started shaking and flowing down the river because of the strength of the new currents. After a big wave crashed with them, the boat turned and threw them off.

Yeonjun emerged and gasped for air as he looked around looking for Soobin. He tried to swim to shore but the water forced him to go in the same direction.

Meanwhile, Soobin struggled to resurface. He could only manage to emerge every time he hit bottom and pushed himself up with his legs.

“Soobin!” Yeonjun screamed every time he could

“Yeonjun!” Soobin screamed back

The terror didn’t finish as a loud rumble came from the dam of the cliff. The water was so strong that it had started to crumble down the wall of rocks. From where he was, he could see as the smaller one on top disappeared from his view as those fell into the lake. At this rate, they will both fall with them.

Soobin saw as only one big rock remained in the middle of the cliff. He needed to hold onto it if he didn’t want to fall down to the river and possibly hit the rocks at the bottom. He did his best and right before he fell down the edge, he managed to grab one side of the rock with his hand. He then felt as a hand gripped his against the rock, it was Yeonjun preventing him of falling. Yeonjun was positioned better in the rock since he was giving his back to the river instead of holding onto it for dear life. Soobin’s lower body was practically in the waterfall and the constant hits from the currents made his hand slip little by little.

“Hold on!” Yeonjun screamed at him

Soobin tried with his other hand to grab the rock but every time he tried, his grip in the other hand became weaker. At some point, the only thing that kept him from falling was Yeonjun’s hand. As he kept struggling to hold on, he felt the rock shake a little; he was bringing it down with him. A feeling took over him, it could be a fluttering butterfly or the heat of fire or lightning snapping; he couldn’t point out what it was but it made his mind clear of what he had to do.

“Let go!” Soobin screamed at Yeonjun “The rock will fall too if you don’t!”

“Are you crazy? I am not!” Yeonjun said

“Yeonjun!” Soobin screamed again, it terrified him but it was necessary

“No!” Yeonjun said strongly “I won’t let go!” Soobin shook his hand to let go of Yeonjun’s grip but he was not giving in “Stop! I can’t do it!” Yeonjun said as his voice cracked a little, little did he know that he was feeling the same as Soobin

The rock started to give in to the river and it slowly rolled into the waterfall dragging them both with it.

“Yeonjun!” Soobin screamed

“Soobin!” Yeonjun screamed

The both of them fell into the lake, everything went black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! We have come a long way, haven’t we? I am happy that you have been with me throughout this journey! I just wanted to say that from here on, I will focus more on the curses and curse marks so if that’s what you have been waiting for, I hope these are good news for you! Sorry if I am making this slow burn fic way too slow burn but this is how I personally like it, don’t worry I will get there at one point. Before I go, I just wanted to ask if you have been enjoying the story so far. As you may know this is my first work and I am a little insecure of my writing so if you could leave a little comment, even if it is a dot, I will greatly appreciate it. If you don’t, don’t worry, the fact that you are reading this is enough for me. Thank you for your support and for reading! See you! <3


	24. Deep in Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, before you read I just wanted to say this is one of or the darkest chapter until now. Maybe it isn’t as tragic as I believe it to be, but I wanted to put a little warning at the beginning just in case. See you at the end of the chapter!

It’s so cold; I can feel my blood freezing as it slowly circulates around my body. My muscles can’t react, I simply sink to where light can’t even reach. Maybe this is just a dream, like that one I had a couple of nights ago. This one is similar to that one, maybe all of this time I’ve been dreaming. However, I know I am lying to myself, because if this was a dream, I wouldn’t feel cold, alone, sad or pain. I shouldn’t feel alone because there is someone here with me; he hasn’t left my side, not even now. We are still holding onto each other’s hands, we never let go. But … I can’t help feeling alone … because I don’t know if he is still here with me.

I don’t know if we will meet each other again, I do hope so. Right now, we go wherever the other goes. He is with me as much as I am with him. We are together, we sink together. Maybe in another life we can be friends for much longer. Maybe we can get to know each other better, I regret not doing so when we had the time; when I had the chance. Maybe next time … I won’t drag you with me to my end.

As the moonlight shone over us and slowly lost its power, I see his face one last time. It doesn’t have the warmth of life in it and now his lips have turned blue. He doesn’t have his eyes open; I have seen him asleep many times before but this time, I know he won’t open them ever again. What I would do to see those eyes before I go, just as he did.

* * *

I know this is it, I won’t be coming back. Sorry for leaving you behind, I hope you can forgive me for it. Thank you for everything, even if it was just for a couple of weeks that we were together. I know I shouldn’t have done what I did, but in the end, I did it anyways. And because of it, you won’t be going back too. I truly am sorry. I would do anything to change what happened, but just as we both know, it is too late for that.

Sorry for not saying goodbye, sorry for taking you with me to where no one else can go. I can never get used to saying goodbye, even if I have done it many times before. This time, I wish I was the only one saying goodbye, and that you were somewhere else saying hello to someone different. I hope I never see you again, because if I do, I will know for sure I am the reason why you are down here with me.

* * *

“Where do you think he is? Soobin told me he had found him and that they were alright” Tina said as she looked around

“I don’t know … Have you seen Soobin in his table?” Hyewon said

“I haven’t seen him either. He also hasn’t answered my texts”

“Maybe we can ask Seojun, he is their roommate” After this, Tina and Hyewon walked to the table Seojun was sitting

“Hi … do you remember us?” Tina asked shyly

“Oh yeah, you are the girls Soobin sits with sometimes right?”

“Yes”

“Oh by the way … Do you know where Soobin and Yeonjun are? I thought they were with you but I don’t see them in your table”

“You haven’t seen them either?” Hyewon asked concerned

“What do you mean?” One of the other guys at the table asked

“We haven’t seen them at all” Hyewon clarified “Did they come back to your cabin last night?”

“I-, I don’t know. They are always the ones that stay out until late, even after lights go out. I thought this time was one of those so I went to bed” Seojun said agitated

“You didn’t see them even after you woke up?” Kai asked, they knew who he was. He was really kind to them the times they talked.

“No …” Seojun said “Hey! Come here!” Seojun screamed to one of his roommates “Have you seen Soobin or Yeonjun?” He asked when the guy came

“No … why?” His roommates said

“Not even this morning?” Tina asked

“No, their beds were messy so I thought they had gotten up early”

* * *

“I found them!” He heard “They are over here!”

He turned around and sprinted to where that person was. He had looked everywhere with the others. They planned to separate and to search throughout the entire campsite, if in half an hour they didn’t find them, they would tell one counselor and ask for help. He admits it is kind off dumb to not tell the counselors of two missing people but if in fact Soobin and Yeonjun were just having tea with cookies somewhere, they didn’t want them to get in trouble. He searched along the left side of the campsite and a little inside the forest. Every cabin he looked through was just as he had seen before, rusty, torn down, old … just the same. However, he encountered one that missed a door and had scratch marks all over the floor. Last time he saw it, it wasn’t like that. He looked inside for them but they weren’t there. He isn’t an expert in scratch marks but he can tell these ones aren’t that new, they even had moss inside of them. Whatever happened here isn’t related to Soobin or Yeonjun.

He ran through bushes and trees as fast as he could without hurting himself. The voice he heard came from the lake so he had to go off the path to get there quickly. Of all of the times he has been here, he has never ran through the wild this way. As he moved the last branches in his way, he saw two unconscious bodies at the shore of the lake.

“What happened to them?” He asked panicked

“I don’t know! I just found them here while I looked for them!” The girl said as she cried “They aren’t responding!”

“Are they …” He asked scared of the answer, he couldn’t lose his childhood friend like this

“No, but they are barely breathing. They are both hurt!”

“I’ll look for help! Stay right there”

“Where are they?” Taehyun said as he ran out of the forest. After he saw them, he stayed still in shock

“Stay right here with Misoo, I’ll be right back!” Kai said as he ran to look for someone”

* * *

He woke up inside a cabin he has been before. He can tell without a doubt where he was, not even the scratch marks around the walls and floor could hide its identity. He was in the living room, or what was left of it. Last time he was here, there were two doors; one for the bedroom, and the other was the entrance. Now, there are none. He didn’t have to look out the window to know that the sky was painted blood, the light that came in tinted the insides with its color. He got up and looked around as he stood still; he had control over his actions this time. He got alert as he heard footsteps getting closer from the entrance; it was the wolf no doubt. Before he ran to the other room, he heard that voice he feared so much.

_“Don’t run, I didn’t come to hurt you” The wolf said “I never did in the first place. Why do you fear so much?”_

“Is there nothing to fear?” Soobin asked as he turned around and faced the wolf. This time it was bigger, a little taller than him; but it was still the same wolf from before.

_“I have never lied, never killed and never betrayed you”_

“That doesn’t mean you won’t”

_”I can’t kill those unmarked …”_

“Unmarked?” He asked confused. After this, the wolf growled and licked his snout as if he was hungry

 _“I believe this is the last time we meet, you will understand why”_ _The wolf said as he showed its teeth “I promise not to hurt you, not like that friend of yours of course”_

“He has never hurt me”

_“He has … he did this to you … he killed you”_

“He didn’t”

_“Yes, he did. He convinced you to cross the river with him”_

“He didn’t know what would happen” He defended Yeonjun

_“Yes … he did. You told him”_

“No I didn’t” The wolf looked straight into his eyes in search of something, as if it could look into his soul. Then, the wolf maniacally laughed “Why are you laughing?”

_“You … have been tricked by someone you hold dearly” The wolf continued “Many people you care for has been lying to you, hiding a truth you don’t know”_

“Who?”

_“I too have rules I am bound to follow, for immortality. What you seek can’t be given by me” The wolf explained “Though … I can tell you something … something they hid from you” The wolf grinned evilly “Only I … can cross the river”_

* * *

“Yeonjun! Yeonjun!” He heard someone scream his name, it was his sister. She sounded as if she was in pain. He ran to where the screams came from and came in sight with her sister being dragged by a wolf.

“Sister!” He screamed as he ran to her. He was running through trees and bushes but never got close to her even if he ran with all he had. At some point, she disappeared after the wolf took her through a bush. He no longer heard or saw her. He screamed her name in desperation but there was no response. He walked backwards and his foot touched something. He slowly turned and saw the dead body of her sister once again, just as in that dream days before.

“He did this to us. I warned you, you didn’t listen” He heard someone say behind him in tears. It was his own voice “He is going to pay” Then he heard that person run away. He tried to go after himself but someone stopped him, like before.

“Don’t go, there is nothing you can do” It was she

“I thought I told you to leave me alone” He said to her coldly

“Look what you’ve caused. Because of your selfish reasons they both died”

“That’s not true!”

“You over stood your boundaries and did what you shouldn’t”

“What did I do so wrong!?” Yeonjun screamed “Tell me!”

“Only I … can cross the river” Misoo said

* * *

“I want everyone to leave this cabin immediately!” One counselor said “Grab your belongings and transfer elsewhere, the only people allowed in here are the counselors, the nurse and no one else. Understood?” One counselor firmly said

“Understood” He and the others said in unison.

Yeonjun and Soobin were found moments ago at the border of the lake in serious condition. Of what he knew, they weren’t in great condition; they may even be in great danger. He can’t help but feel guilt that this all is happening. If only he had stayed awake to notice something was wrong, none of this would’ve happened. A good night of sleep might cost him one of his best friends and potentially one. He doesn’t know Yeonjun that well, but since Soobin and Yeonjun had grown closer, he got used to the idea of maybe befriending him if he gave him the chance. Maybe as it is, that won’t happen at all.

Seojun grabbed his things as fast as he could since the whole cabin would be used to take care of Soobin and Yeonjun instead of the infirmary. The infirmary lacked space and beds to treat people; they weren’t prepared to have such accidents. The biggest wounds they have ever treated are probably the ones Yeonjun and Soobin had before. How could a nurse single handedly treat patients without knowing what had happened, and to add more, that are unconscious? There was no way, it would be better to get them to a hospital.

He got out of the cabin and saw a big commotion coming his way. He saw as two people were carried in stretchers; it was Soobin and Yeonjun. The students that were around, gathered and saw as the two unconscious boys were mobilized. He stood still by the side of the door to avoid interrupting the counselors that move them in. As Soobin and Yeonjun passed in front of him, he entered in shock. He wasn’t expecting to see them so pale and … gone. He doesn’t know how to react to such thing; he really blamed himself. If only he was a good friend to Soobin as he has been with him.

“Seojun” Kai said to him “Hey! Seojun!” Kai shook him for him to respond but he couldn’t

“It’s all my fault” Seojun said as he crumbled to the floor 

* * *

“What do you think you are doing!?”

“Misoo, you shouldn’t-” Tina tried to calm her down but she wasn’t listening

“Are you crazy? They need to go to a hospital!” Misoo kept arguing

“We are handling the situation; there is no need for such matters” The owner of the camp said

“You are not handling anything! They are people who need real help! They are my friends and someone’s family!” She kept saying

“We know what we are-“ The owner tried to say

“I know what you are afraid of, everyone knows it very well. If Yeonjun’s family gets to know what is going on, this place would be shut down in an instant. That’s why you are doing this”

“You are playing with the lives of my employees and mine included, missy. You are not going to say a word!” The owner started to get angry

“I promise you something” Misoo said defiantly “If Yeonjun’s family doesn’t close this place down, mine will. You have until dinner, if I don’t see them talking or awake or with an ambulance right at the entrance of the camp … prepare to say goodbye to this place”

* * *

“We have to get them warm! Bring them more covers and some heaters! We have to make their temperature stable!” He heard in the distance “We have to work fat people, we don’t have much time!”

Yeonjun tried to move but he couldn’t. Breathing was hard; it feels as if he has something inside his lungs. He can barely take enough air without passing out. He doesn’t know where he is, he can’t see a thing. The only thing he knows is that he is going down a dark abyss that doesn’t have a bottom, he is infinitely falling.

“Is anyone in here?” He manages to say

“Are they ok? Please tell me they are ok … this is all my fault” He listened a voice echo in the darkness

“Yeonjun! Soobin!” Two feminine voices said in the void

“Yeonjun?” He heard someone say clearly, not like the others. It was Soobin’s voice

“Soobin? Is that you?” He asked

“It’s me” Soobin said “Are you ok?”

“I don’t really know. Where are you?”

“I … don’t know. I can’t see anything”

“Do you hear the voices?” Yeonjun asked

“Yes, what do you think that is?”

“I also don’t know … it’s so cold in here”

“I know, I also feel cold”

“Do you see anything at all?” Soobin asked

“I don’t see anything, everything is pitch black. There is nothing” Yeonjun said

“Wait keep talking” Soobin said

“Why?”

“I think I see something when you talk, keep doing it”

“How are they? Give me good news or we are done” He heard an old voice say “Damn it! Call an ambulance, that’s the only thing we got left”

“Ehhh, I like … mint chocolate ice cream … I have a dog named Ken … I will be eighteen his year” Yeonjun kept saying as he ignored the voices in the background

“Got you” He heard Soobin say. At the same time, he felt someone take his hand and that strange feeling he had felt before but couldn’t explain. In an instant, he saw a bright light appear in front of him and it pulled him at great speed.

* * *

“The paramedics will be here any second! Make way for them, don’t stare and don’t take photos!” The nurse said to the students waiting outside the cabin, right after she finished they moved out of the way

She went back in to check on the students one last time before they were retreated. They have not done any progress since she first examined them; it was very irresponsible of them to keep them here in such state. That girl from before had very good reasons to be angry, there was not much she could do, as a nurse of a campsite, she wasn’t prepared for these cases. She couldn’t understand what was wrong; their bodies weren’t even heating up after throwing at least five covers over them. It didn’t make sense.

As she removed the furniture that disturbed the way, she heard loud coughs coming from the beds. She saw the two boys cough water nonstop at the same time. She had checked their lungs before and there were no signs of water inside of them. Both of the boys struggled to breathe as they continuously spit more and more water out of nowhere. She put pillows in their backs so they could sit a little more straight to help get the fluid out of their system. After a couple of seconds, they stopped coughing and fell back on their beds out of tiredness. She checked their breathing and pulse quickly and noted that they were already doing better.

She heard the loud ambulance sirens and returned to making way for their withdrawal. The paramedics entered quickly to the cabin and took them out in stretches. The students did as they were told to so none of them slowed down the process. Soobin and Yeonjun were carried to different ambulances, in a matter of seconds both of the vehicles were out of her sight and with that, she said goodbye to them.

* * *

“Soobin …” He tried to say with all he had

“He is in the other ambulance buddy, he is alright. You should rest” He heard a man say

_“Yes … he is in the other ambulance … you should rest” Yeonjun heard a demonic voice say in his mind “We haven’t met … I believe”_

“Who are you?” He asked in his mind

_“You marked him … he will be bound for life … just as you are”_

“What?”

_“I can’t wait to see you … and your mark. Next time you come visit me … come all alone”_

* * *

“Madam! Madam!” She screamed as she ran through the door of the main bedroom

“What is it this time? Don’t tell me Ken is fighting with the chickens again” She hasn’t been in the house for so long, she doesn’t even know they no longer have chickens since years ago

“Master Yeonjun-“ She tried to say as she recovered her breath

“You told me he would be here past Sunday, do you enjoy my suffering? Next time have your facts straight”

“He is in an ambulance! He is going to a hospital right now!” She finally said

“What!?”

“They said he got in an accident with one other student they are both being mobilized to a hospital”

“Oh no! Yeonjun! Beomgyu! What will I do?” She believes Beomgyu is the other student since to her knowledge, Yeonjun only has one friend 

“I have the car ready for you; you should be there on time if you leave now”

* * *

“Move! Move!” He heard people say around him

He was being moved in some type of bed through a white corridor, he couldn’t see much, the light is too blinding. He can’t understand much of what the people are talking about, he tried to concentrate but his head hurt a lot. He was having that same headache he had back in the cabin, but this time it was worse. There is no way of getting away of the noise and the lights since he can’t move his body at all, he felt so weak. He wanted to scream just so they could notice how much pain he was feeling but he couldn’t.

“Describe the patient” Someone said

“Name: Choi Soobin, Age: 17, Allergies: None, Significant Medical Background: None” A female voice spoke

“Cause of Sickness?”

“Unknown, he was found with the other patient unconscious at the border of a lake. Nobody knows how long they had been there”

“Present Condition?”

“Unresponsive, reflexes at their minimum”

Soobin tried to make a sound, move a finger, anything … but he couldn’t. He was shouting with all of his might but not even a whimper could be heard. He cried internally hoping that a tear would roll down his face but once again, his body was unresponsive.

* * *

“Yeonjun … honey. Can you hear me?” He heard a woman’s voice, she was crying. He recognizes that sweet tone, this voice is the one he has waited more than a year to listen properly

“Mom?” He said in a murmur

“Oh! God! Doctor! Doctor!” She screamed “He is awake! He spoke to me!”

“Let me check quickly” A new voice said. He saw a light move from side to side from each of his eyes “This is great news, he has regained consciousness”

“Thank God! Did you hear that? You are going to be fine!” His mom cried out of happiness “Yeonjun, my baby. Don’t ever scare me that way”

“Mom … what … happened?” He managed to say

“Don’t worry, you are going to be fine, you are in good hands. I won’t go anywhere. Go back to sleep”

“Where am I?”

“You are in a hospital, you have been here for a day and a half” She said as she held his hand. He remembers someone holding his hand, who? Then … everything came back in a rush. The river, the stars, the rock, the fall … Soobin. He jumped out of his bed as if he wasn’t sick anymore and stood up as he hold onto the wall “Yeonjun! Go back to bed! What do you think you are doing?”

“I need to see him. Where is he?” He walked holding onto the railing of the wall

“Yeonjun go back to bed you are still weak” His mother tried to stop him

“Mom, I need to see him where is he?”

“Yeonjun … your friend is … in critical condition … he hasn’t woken up yet”

“What? No …”

“His family are still waiting for his results … they don’t seem-“ Yeonjun sprinted away to the corridor without listening to what his mother had to say

As he ran, he heard his mom call for him but he didn’t stop, nothing would. Somehow, he knew where to go, he followed his instinct. He ran through the stairs to avoid the elevator and went down to another floor. He felt his presence he just had to follow it. After passing room after room, he stopped, he had arrived.

He entered the room and saw him, immobile in his bed

“Soobin?” He said as he held his tears

* * *

He felt a hand grab his; he can tell by the size of it whose it is. He turned his head to see his friend but what he saw surprised him. Yeonjun was by the side of the bed holding his hand but kneeling in front of the bed with his face over it. He really didn’t know what to do; he hasn’t seen Yeonjun act this way before.

“Yeonjun …” Soobin finally said “Are you ok?”

“Soobin?” Yeonjun said as he held his head up to him. He could see some tears piled up in his eyes, even a blink would set them free

“Yeah?” He stupidly asked

“My mom … told me you were unconscious” Yeonjun now looked at him confused

“Yeah … a few seconds ago I woke up. My family is by the cafeteria, they wanted me to rest”

“Oh …”

“Did you think I was-“ He didn’t even finish

“Of course not” Yeonjun said as he stood up and swiped his tears of his face “I woke up with a very bad allergy. The doctors didn’t know I was allergic to … umm … one of the meds”

“Oh … I see” He acted as if he didn’t know he was lying, he didn’t want to humiliate him “What about you? When did you wake up?”

“Me? Just a few-“

“Choi Yeonjun!” They heard someone scream in the hallway and almost break the door down as she opened it

“Hi mom … what’s up?” He awkwardly asked

“You little …” She wanted to continue but then she saw him “Oh, you must be Soobin. Congratulations on your recovery!” She changed her expression in a quarter of a second “Nice to meet you, I am-“

“Miss Lee Eun-Kyung!” Soobin saw his mother scream by the door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you liked the chapter! I really like how this is going, I am having so much fun with this fic. I don’t know if the note in the beginning was useful to you or if it was unnecessary but I’ll keep it in mind for the next chapters. Thank you for the comments in the past chapter I know they might not do much of a difference to you but I really appreciate them with all of my heart. Thank you for your support as always! See you! <3


	25. Finally Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I recently created a Twitter account so we can interact with each other, my username is @kenthedoggo so make sure to follow me! Let's be friends! <3

It took his whole strength and patience to stop his mom of leaving the room in search of her favorite person alive. Yes, you heard right, favorite person. Not even Soobin, her own son could win against Lee Eun-Kyung. His mom had grown obsessed with every work the actress did, and with her of course. If she could take a quiz of anything related to Lee Eun-Kyung she would definitely get the highest score. She may not be as book-smart as he is, but anyone who said she didn’t know anything about Yeonjun’s mother would be terribly wrong. To make it clear, she even knows her birthday, his own mother even struggled with his but she had her priorities well stablished.

“Mom! Stop! You are going to embarrass me! Again!” Soobin said as he held the door of his room shut

“Honey! Help me get out of here!” His mom screamed ash she tried to move the obstacle in her way, her son

“This one is on you honey” His dad said as he played on the phone trying not to take sides on the current fight

“Mom! I’ll do anything but please don’t go out ever again! I swear, anything!”

“We send you on a camp trip, pay for your school expenses and you won’t even let me go talk to the person I admire most!” His mother argued with him, they were still fighting for the door handle

“Mom you already met her! Not only once, or twice … seven times! And all in a span of one day!” Soobin said as he used the strength he still had “That’s more times than any other fan has had in their entire life! It’s even a record!” 

“I don’t care! Let me expand my record for god’s sake!”

“Mom …” Soobin tried to trick his mom. He was acting as if he was going to faint. You know, the usual tired face, the clumsy movements and the sudden loss of strength “I think … I am going to faint” He said as he crashed against the cold floor of his hospital room

“Honey! You take care of this one! I’ll be back!” His mother said as she sprinted past her own son

“Sure, sure …” His dad murmured “Get up kid, she already left”

“Ugh, why is she like this. It’s so embarrassing” Soobin said as he stood up and went to bed once again

“You can’t stop her from doing what she wants, I learned the hard way. It’s like trying to stop an avalanche with your own hands, it’s a suicide mission”

“I just hope she doesn’t do anything weird”

The first time his mother saw Yeonjun’s mom, she ran to her, grabbed her hands and started jumping out of happiness. This wasn’t alarming, but what she did the next six times was. She went from jumping excitedly to buying lunch, beverages, asking for autographs in five different books she brought from home, she even used his own medical prescription as paper for her autographs. She spent more time in Yeonjun’s room than his, that’s how bad she was.

From time to time Yeonjun sent him audio messages of the conversations their moms had. It mostly consisted of his mom talking since she never let the other speak. The only topic they talked about was of course Lee Eun-Kyung, not even of the health of their sons. Yeonjun did it to embarrass him of course. Ever since Yeonjun came to his room yesterday, they spent their time by the gardens or in the cafeteria and by the times they were found out of bed and it was time to go rest once more, they continued talking by text.

Soobin also got messages of his friends who were still at the campsite, even Tina, Hyewon and Misoo were in the call. They wanted to go visit him but he told them not to since that would require them to cut their vacations short. He didn’t want to ruin it for them, so instead he did a FaceTime call to them. He reassured them that he was all right and that Yeonjun was also in good condition. He even briefly showed his face since he was sitting beside him. Yeonjun didn’t like that one bit so they bickered a little while the call continued, his friends in the other side witnessing their little fight. They were glad they were doing fine but they still wanted to see him and ask him what had happened but he told them they have plenty of time for that so they shouldn’t worry right now. When he gets to go home and they come back from the trip, he will tell them all. Of course, if Yeonjun also wanted. If not he will keep it simple and what not but they haven’t had that conversation yet.

As he prepared for bed, he got a text notification. He already knew whose it was and what it said without even looking at the screen.

“Look who is back” Yeonjun texted him. He also sent him a photo of their mothers talking, well … just as I described it before. It wouldn’t be a bad photo but the fact that his mother had a manic expression and that Yeonjun’s mother face was distorted in awkwardness wasn’t a good sign

“Oh no … tried my best though” He said back

“She tried harder as for what I am seeing”

“No doubt”

“You know … you could try once more the heart attack thing”

“It didn’t work the first time, she won’t fall for the second time”

“Have you also tried fainting?”

“Did it already … look what happened”

“I knew my mother had fans but …”

“Stop, I can’t take it anymore”

“You got something in mind? I’m really tired and …” As he read Yeonjun’s text a lightbulb went on over his head

“Say it out loud! She will leave if you want to rest”

“I can’t do that! That is so rude”

“Do it, she doesn’t care if I don’t rest but if you don’t, she will be mortified of putting your mother in that situation”

“???”

“If you do it, I am sure you will never see her again”

“I don’t know …”

“ >:C “

“What is that face?”

“Do it!”

“Ok ok”

Soobin waited for another text. He didn’t even look elsewhere; his eyes were glued to the screen of his phone. Either Yeonjun was hesitating or his mother was begging for forgiveness, both are very valid options. Then he got a text back.

“Done, it worked” Yeonjun said

“Did she make a scene?”

“Almost but not really, she apologized almost five times … that’s all”

“Sorry for that”

“Don’t worry”

“She is not as bad as she seems, this isn’t how I wanted you to meet her. Maybe another day” As he sent the message, his mom came into his room looking a little down

“It was fun … for the most part”

“Anyways … rest well Yeonjun see you tomorrow”

“Yeah, see you”

He left his phone by the night table. If it was up to him, he would keep talking to Yeonjun. It was lonely not knowing anyone in the hospital and much worse if your parents were busy doing other things that didn’t include you. Yeonjun and he had grown closer after the accident, he doesn’t know why but he feels as if something tied them together. Like an invisible rope or something. After he fell of the cliff, he doesn’t remember much, he has the feeling that there is something he should but every time he is close to remembering, it goes away.

Before he goes to sleep, he says goodbye to his parents. They stayed with him at night when he was unconscious but now that he was well, they returned home for a good night of sleep. The only thing that kept him in the hospital was the checkup he was going to have the next day, if everything went well, he would be back tomorrow by noon.

That night he doesn’t dream.

* * *

“Isn’t this weird? She hasn’t come by all day” His mom said

“Soobin said she wouldn’t come back” He explained

“Really? Such a shame, I was starting to like her”

“Mom … What?”

“She is nice what can I say”

It’s not that he didn’t like Soobin’s mom, in the contrary he thinks she is a very … unique person but after the struggles they went through to separate the two, he just gives up. If Soobin knew his brain would collapse probably, maybe one day he will tell him. What worried him most is, what if Soobin’s mother found out, she would totally go crazy so he decides to keep it to himself.

He had finished breakfast a couple of minutes ago, the same old breakfast the hospital game him. It was a bowl of fruits, a cup of oatmeal and jelly. At least they gave him orange juice or apple juice instead of coffee, otherwise he would die. He really hated coffee, coffee bad, stupid coffee. It was a matter of seconds until he had his last checkup, one way or another, he will get out of this hospital with or without their consent. However, if they let him go, everything would be much easier.

The doctor came in and after he greeted them, he started with the checkup. Everything was going well until he noticed the doctor change expressions between pleased and worried. He really wanted to go home; he just hopes his body doesn’t betray him this time.

“Well … for the most part … he is doing just fine” The doctor said

“You hear that Yeonjunnie! You are doing great!” His mom said as she hugged him out of happiness but he waited for the other news

“But …” The doctor interrupted “I have noticed strange patterns”

“What patterns?” His mother asked

“His heart and lungs are working irregularly, as if trying to adjust their pace. Do you feel any of those things?” The doctor asked him. He can’t say he hasn’t, from time to time, his heart skips a beat or he suddenly lacks air in his lungs but he can’t admit it to the doctor

“No, I feel just fine” He said as he worked his acting skills to the maximum

“It may be that your body is tired and is trying to recover from the accident … but I would like you to stay just in case”

“Is there something we can do? He is starting school soon and I don’t want him to lose good sleep in this uncomfortable bed” His mom said right after the doctor said. She was also using her skills to get him out of here

“What do you suggest?”

“What if … he gets his checkups at home?” She was using her tactics, those never failed

“I believe the hospital can’t afford the-“ The doctor tried to say

“No worries. I will, just say how much”

“I really … don’t know the number”

“Here is my phone number, contact me when you know the number. Meanwhile you can help me with his discharge. I will look forward to seeing you at my home, let’s go” His mom said as she grabbed the doctor and dragged him to the reception. His mother could be as crazy as Soobin’s but he like when her craziness come in handy

* * *

He couldn’t understand what was going on. In the first place, back at the hospital, his mom was actually bribing the receptionist so that he wasn’t discharged. Apparently, she wanted him to stay there so that she could talk to Yeonjun’s mother, maybe she didn’t fully give up after all. Secondly, there was a doctor beside him on his way home. Soobin is confused if this happens every time someone is discharged. He thought he didn’t need checkups anymore, that is the main reason why people leave the hospital, right? Well this wasn’t the case …

“I am so sorry but could you explain what is wrong with my son? We thought he was fine” His father asked the doctor

“Don’t misunderstand me, he is in perfect condition just as the other patient. But they both have some symptoms we should keep monitoring; it may be just exhaustion so there is no need to worry” The doctor answered

“I see …”

“If everything goes as expected, tomorrow will be the last checkup”

“See, I told you! He shouldn’t have left the hospital this early. What if he collapses or something?” His mother argued. He knew why she was acting this way, not for him for sure

“No need to worry, I was notified there will be no additional costs and as I see right now, your son is in perfect condition” The doctor said as he looked at him superficially, a little awkward but he understood why he did it. Anything to calm his mom down, he thought

“Wait … we didn’t even pay for the treatment … honey, did we leave without paying?” His dad said preoccupied

“I thought you paid …” His mom said to him

“This can’t be happening” Soobin murmured as he hid his face with his hands

“The other woman, the mother of the other patient, the actress … she paid for the costs if I am not mistaken”

“What!?” His parents screamed at the same time. Meanwhile, he continued hiding his face, he felt so ashamed that Yeonjun’s mom paid for his treatment

“I believe she did …” The doctor said

“Miss Lee Eun-Kyung paid for my son’s hospital bill!?” His mother said loudly “God bless, that woman … No, no, angel”

“Mom … you can’t be serious” Soobin said mortified “Are you really going to let this happen?”

“What Soobin, it’s called gratitude. If you don’t accept it, it would be disrespectful” His mom said to him

“But mom, she is the mother of my friend … your favorite person in the world”

“Exactly, now I can brag about it to my friends! Not only she is the mother of my son’s friend, she also paid for my bills! We are like family now!”

“Dad …” He said to his father, maybe he could change her mind

“I have to agree with your mother on this one”

“Honey, I love you”

“God … why?” He said as he hid his face once again

* * *

“Surprise!” Everyone said as he entered the living room. It has been so long he has been in here it took some time to realize this was his normal life and not somewhere in a rusty cabin.

“What is going on?” He said since he didn’t expect this at all

“We are throwing you a ’Welcome Back’ party!” His mother said as she hugged him from behind

“Thank you …” He was thankful really but … he can’t be as excited as people expect him to be because … the people that are attending the party are only the staff that worked for his family. What type of party is this?

“Welcome back master Yeonjun. Don’t tell me you forgot my name after the incident” The maid said with a forced smile. Yeonjun doesn’t know this but she clearly wants Yeonjun not to remember her name

“I don’t remember your name …” Yeonjun said. This filled the maid with happiness “But I know you are Tortoise for sure, nice to see you again”

“Sure … glad you are back master” She said with a grain of salt, maybe a whole bag to be exact

“Did you invite Beomgyu?” Yeonjun asked his mom

“He is at his grandparent’s house. Ahh must be nice to be looking at the wineries of Italy right now, such a dream. Maybe we can go to our house in Italy someday, would you like that?” His mother said as she daydreamed about it

“I’ll think about it … I’ll meet Ken and then go to my room … thank you … for the party” He awkwardly said as he went outside to meet his best friend

Yeonjun opened the patio door as cautious as he could to not make a noise. Then he slowly walked to the patio checking left and right in search of Ken, if he could, he wanted to surprise him. Yeonjun saw the golden retriever at the distance playing with his favorite squeaky toy. He looks as if he was tired since he is laying on his back and squeaking the toy nonstop as his tail wiggled from side to side. Ken hasn’t noticed him but he sees that he is catching the scent of him since he sees the motion of his nose as if he is sniffing something.

“Ken!” He screams as he fully straightens so that his dog could see him. When his dog sees him, he sprits at him and he opens his arms as to hug him when he came to him.

Just as always, Ken manages to tackle him to the ground and lay on top of him as Yeonjun closes his arms around him. He has to move his head from side to side to avoid the kisses his dog gave him. He really missed having Ken beside him. After greeting him, he played catch with him and helped with some tricks he taught him. He was just as smart as he was before he left for the camp trip. He had to say goodbye a little early so he could go to his bedroom and rest, but Ken kept smelling him curiously as if he had brought food or another dog with him. That’s weird since he showered many times back at the hospital, no odor should stay with him. Ken followed him to the door and as he disappeared from his view, Ken went to his wooden shack in the patio.

As he plunges to his bed, he realizes how much he missed it. It was soft as a cloud, you dint have to apply much force for it to bounce. It would be nice to have Beomgyu by his side right now but what could he do when he was in another continent miles away. It would be nice to go have some relaxing vacations in the house he has in Italy but all the time that takes to get there makes it completely undesirable. He preferred to be here, in his house, doing … nothing to be honest. He would do the same in Italy just as he did back at the camp trip so why go through all of the unnecessary process if he could do it here.

Maybe he could go out with Soobin one day …

“Yeonjun! The doctor is here! We will be up any second now! Be presentable!” His mother screamed through the house. It wasn’t very lady-like if you lived in a rich household but since there was no one to impress, she sometimes let go.

Just as expected nothing new, the doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with him except the weird hearts and lung problems. It didn’t scare him at all; he blamed it on the tiredness, even if he didn’t feel tired at all. But the doctor had something to say before he left.

“I should really recommend he goes back to the hospital, I took his temperature and he is developing a fever”

“Fever? I don’t feel sick at all” Yeonjun said, he really didn’t feel sick or cold or anything at all, he was just fine

“Honey are you sure?” His mom said as she put her hand over his forehead “I do sense a little heat”

“I swear, I’m not lying”

“I’ll come back tomorrow and we will see. If you notice something, please don’t doubt in calling” The doctor said as he left the room

“Honey …” His mom lowly said

“Mom, I am fine, I promise … I won’t fight back if I am sick tomorrow. I’ll go if I need to, don’t worry right now” He hopes this fever thing is just a lie because there is no way he is going back to the hospital

“I believe you” She said as she kissed his forehead “If you need anything-“

“I know, I know … I’ll tell you”

“Actually … tell one of the maids, I’ll be at Beomgyu’s. His mother is having a little party tonight”

“Wasn’t she in Italy?”

“Oh no, she stayed here. Beomgyu was the only one that went”

“Ok … See you then” He said before his mom left the room. Really Beomgyu? Italy? With your grandparents? Alone? You? That is something new

* * *

“You heard the doctor” His grandmother said “To the tub bunny”

“To where!?” He said as he panicked “I think I heard you wrong”

“I don’t think so, to the tub”

Not the tub, not again please. He really wasn’t feeling feverish, he isn’t lying! But no one can convince his grandmother that he wasn’t a little over the normal temperature that he should have. Being strong-headed flows in her veins, just like his mother, he still doesn’t show signs of it that he is aware of. He hated the tub; his grandmother filled it with ice and cold water even if he was a decimal over the standard. And of course, he needed to get in there to lose that point one degree of temperature he gained.

His mouth couldn’t stop moving from the cold of the tub, his teeth constantly clashed with each other as another wave of cold hit him when his grandma added one more layer of ice over him. It really was more torture than medicine. At some point, his body became numb from the cold. He couldn’t even move his toes or feel a thing other that cold, cold and more cold.

After an hour of torture and half an hour of reactivating his numb nerves, he went to bed and hid from everyone. He didn’t want anyone to know he was awake since more experiments and other methods of traditional medicine would be used on him. It was a miracle his grandpa hasn’t brought out weird items to test as if he was a witch doctor. That is why he remains inside his covers and hides even more when someone opened his door in look for him.

Soobin missed his room; it was his bedroom after all, where he could have some privacy. It really was small, even smaller than the living room in the cabin he stayed in the camp trip. But it was his big or not, he was thankful to have a roof over his head. Just as before, he had the loud background of the cars passing through the main road and his favorite bunny plushy he has had since a baby. He must really be tired since he felt asleep some time after finding the perfect spot in his bed.

That was enough for him to wonder into the dream world.

_“Look who we have here …” It was he, once again_

Soobin was standing over the big body of water; he knows very well, it was the lake. He wasn’t sinking, with every step he took, little ripples emerged under him but they didn’t make him fall to the water. He looked in front of him and there he was, the wolf.

“…” Soobin stood still as he looked at the beast

_“Why so scared? I thought I made myself clear last time” The wolf said as if he was irritated_

“Last time?” Soobin said confused. The wolf came closer and looked into his eyes, it made him feel as if this wasn’t the first time he did it

_“I see … you don’t remember … it was just a dream for you … oh … but you will” The wolf said as he looked deeply into his soul. In a flash of a second, all of the memories came back to him. His surroundings changed from sunny and calm into that one night he fell with Yeonjun, even the cliff was destroyed and the river flowed with fierce_

“What are you doing here? I thought you said we wouldn’t meet again”

_“Not even I know why I am here” The wolf said “Maybe you called for me”_

“Why would I? I didn’t even remember you?”

_“But there is a part of you that does … in him … you are two but one … a bond for eternity”_

“What do you mean?” Soobin asked

_“If you seek answers … don’t expect them to be pleasant … there are still memories you chose to forget, but if you really wish to know … go … down” The wolf menacingly said_

He couldn’t say a word before the water under him gave into his weight. This time he was sinking like a rock and as he looked up, he saw the figure of the wolf under the light of the moon. He fought to go up since he was lacking air. Even if it was a dream, he felt the pain of drowning, just like that night. Before everything turned black and he was lost in the abyss, he woke up completely drenched in sweat.

Soobin turned on his phone to see what time it was, it was exactly midnight. This time he can remember the wolf and his other dreams but there were still memories missing. Those he will find if he goes down, he probably doesn’t want to go down. After all, they are just dreams … right?

* * *

_“Who would have thought I would see you two … all in the same night” That demonic voice said. He has heard it before, back in the ambulance_

“I remember you, who are you?” Yeonjun asks. He is standing in a void, everywhere he looked was black

_“I see … you do remember me” The wolf chuckled “I am … an old friend? Not yours … but his”_

“Friend? Whose friend? Where are you?”

_“Those are a lot of questions … you are so different from him … so … different … but the same”_

“What are you talking about?” Yeonjun asked. Then he felt as a platform brought him up with brute force. As he emerged of the dark place he was before, he saw a big black wolf standing in front of him

_“Don’t fear … I may not like you … but I can’t kill you … yet” The wolf said as he evilly grinned_

“Why would you kill me?”

_“You … are … marked … so is he” The wolf said “Bound for eternity you are”_

“Why do I even bother … I’ll just wake up in a matter of seconds” Yeonjun huffed

_“This is not a dream” The wolf said angrily_

“Yeah, yeah” Yeonjun dismissed him

_“If death you seek … come look for me … waiting I’ll be” The wolf said_

Yeonjun woke up startled and with his heart beating quickly, he was also sweating for no apparent reason. The dream he had wasn’t even scary, it was weird, but scary? Not at all, he looked at his phone to check for the hour. If it was four o’ clock, he would probably turn on the TV and watch something until the sun came up but it wasn’t. It was exactly midnight, so he just went back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This chapter isn’t as important as others but it is part of the slice of life portion of the story. It isn’t my best work so far but I still enjoyed writing it. I just wanted to say that there are parts of the story I have deliberately not included in the chapters like the dream Yeonjun had the night after the chase, we only know Soobin’s side. Past chapter, I gave you a glimpse of it, don’t worry I’ll explain it better I know it seems messy right now. And also whose memories were we seeing as they fell to the bottom of the lake? We will see. Below this note, I wrote a little spoiler so beware if you don’t want to know. Thank you so much for reading and for your support! See you! <3
> 
> ///SPOILER///  
> Next chapter we will finally get to see the curse marks and ask yourselves this ... how did Yeonjun and Soobin get out of the lake since they were at the bottom?


	26. The Bridge Between Worlds

“Soobin … bunny” He heard his grandma say. He was still half-asleep; he hadn’t even opened up his eyes to begin another day. Though, hearing the sweet voice of his grandma was a good way of waking up “The doctor will be here any minute now. Why don’t you freshen up before he arrives?”

“Hi grandma” He said as he struggled to sit up straight. The day was sunny and his eyes hurt from the light coming in from the window of his room “Thank you for telling me, I’ll do it right away”

“That’s my bunny, always so sweet” She said as she held his cheek with care and love “You seem healthy today, let’s hope we get good news from the doctor”

“Thank you grandma”

“I’ll leave now, don’t go back to bed, ok?” She chuckled before she left the room. It has happened many times that he returned to sleep instead of doing what he was supposed to.

Soobin stood up and threw all of his limbs in different directions as if he was a star, this is his method of stretching in the morning. Without looking in a mirror, he knew his hair was messy as if he was electrocuted. Back at the cabin, he would brush it a little before heading out but now that he was home, he didn’t have to do it anymore. It took some time to fully open his eyes, the light was really blinding. After a yawn or two … maybe three he went down stairs to refresh a little in the bathroom. He would brush his teeth and maybe his hair to look appropriate but … who is he kidding? Almost every doctor in that hospital has seen him in this current state so there was nothing to hide. He was only doing this because his grandma asked him; he would do anything for her.

He walked downs stairs and headed straight to the bathroom. His family may have said ’good morning’ to him but like almost every morning he would just murmur a bunch of nothingness back. As he entered, he closed the door and turned on the light of the room. He had that same tired face he is used to see when he lost sleep or had a bad night. Last night’s dream kept him awake for quite some time. He tried to sleep but he couldn’t, he closed his eyes but his brain was still active all the way through dawn. He brushed his teeth and did as much as he could to control his hair; well … to say he tried hard was a lie. He at least needed to be awake by the time the doctor came into the house so he decided to splash his face with cold water. As he grabbed the handle of the faucet he saw a black stain in his left wrist. He couldn’t see what it was since his view was still blurry but after focusing on it; he could see what it said.

’Choi Yeonjun’

The name was written in a slick handwriting, the type that comes to mind when you think of a history scroll or something of value. He laughed at first thinking that it was a prank Yeonjun did to him back at the hospital but he doesn’t remember having it yesterday so it didn’t make sense. He decided to wash it off, it was a nice handwriting but he didn’t like having ink in his skin. He got surprised when he saw that when the water hit the mark, instead of washing away, it started to dissolve but in his own skin. He tried using soap but the bubbles were white and the stain was growing bigger and bigger. He once again washed it of but the stain was still there. Now he didn’t have Yeonjun’s name but a big black spot in the middle of his arm. He placed his arm vertically and the stain started to flow down to his elbow. As he panicked, he covered his arm with his other hand to stop the flow and accidentally threw the soap bottle to the ground making a lot of noise.

“Soobin? Are you ok?” His mother asked from the other side of the door

“Yeah mom … don’t worry” His tried to keep calm “I just saw … a spider”

“Kill it son! You can do it! Defeat your fears!” He heard his father say

“Ok … I’ll try” He said unconvinced

He removed his right hand of his left arm to look at the stain but there was nothing there. He was very confused, had he imagined everything? As he examined his entire left arm, he decided to give up thinking it was just a hallucination or something. So he proceeded to grab some water with his hands to clean his face. As he looked down to his hands he saw what he feared most. On his right hand, there was a big, hairy, disgusting spider; one of those he hoped to never see in real life. As he screamed and jumped out of fear, he brought down with him almost all of the things there were around him.

“Honey? You ok?” His mother said once again but now with a concerned tone “Is it giving you a hard time?”

“Leave him honey. Let him tear the whole house down if he needs, he will get over this fear today. You can do it Soobin! Kill that spider!” He heard his father say

The words of encouragement his father gave him didn’t work since he stormed out of the bathroom leaving the mess he caused behind, he never looked back. He hid under the covers of his bed fearing for his life. Soobin also feels nauseous knowing that there was a spider on his own hand, a spider … in his hand! He might as well chop it off. What if it left eggs and in a couple of days, the baby spiders will come out of it? It makes his skin crawl thinking of it.

“Soobin the doctor is here! We are coming in!” His mother said as she knocked on the door

“Ok …” He said with a shaky voice and they came in

“Hi Soobin, how are we feeling today?” The doctor asked him with a smile

“Not so well … the kid found a spider in the bathroom, he hates them” His mother explained as she laughed

“I also hate spiders, I can’t stand them” The doctor added “Well … let’s begin”

Just as days before, the doctor checked his reflexes, heart rate, all of those things. He can’t say he is paying much attention this time since he doesn’t stop looking at the door of his bedroom in case the spider came in.

“How is he? Will he need to go back to the hospital?” His mother asked the doctor as he grabbed his equipment

“I don’t find anything abnormal at all. His heart is a little agitated but I will assume it’s because of the spider” The doctor said with a smile “He won’t need any more checkups, have a good life Soobin”

He only nodded back since he was out of words. The doctor and his mom left the room and he was once again alone in his bedroom. As he calms himself down, he starts to think once again of what happened. The stain, the spider, anything made sense, maybe he really was going insane. He never even felt the weight of the spider in his hand; he should have felt something right? He takes his left arm of the covers first very cautiously and examines it carefully but there is nothing there. No stain, no spider, nothing. Then, he takes his right arm little by little. As he sees the lower part of his hand, he sees a hairy skinny leg imprinted in his skin. His skin crawls of fear and disgust. He smashes his hand against the wall but nothing, not even a spot left behind. He peeks once again and there it is still, it even moves as if it was alive.

“I don’t know what is going on ...” He whispers “But please be something else not a spider, anything else” Soobin begs as he looks through his window to ignore the big animal in his hand

After a couple of seconds, he slowly turns his head to look at his hand but there is no spider there. Now, there is a sun right in the palm of his hand.

* * *

“So … Can I go back to sleep?” Yeonjun asks. He knew that he was completely fine even without the checkup the doctor did. He didn’t sleep well last night so every second he wastes is precious time for him. He even tried to not open his eyes just to not lose that feeling of tiredness. If his body fully woke up before he had his well deserve sleep, someone will pay for their crimes.

“If it was up to me, yes, you can do whatever you want Yeonjun” The doctor said as he chuckled “Sorry for disturbing your sleep” Seconds later he hears the doctor go, leaving his mother with him in his bedroom

“Yeonjun …” His mother began to say in that manipulative tone he knows very well “Would you like to do something with me later?”

“Like … when?” He asks

“You know … in an hour or so …”

“An hour?” He says not so into the idea of leaving his bed

“Do it for me, I’ve been waiting a long time to spend some time with you” His mom says “We don’t have to leave the house, let’s see a movie or go to the patio with Ken. What do you say?”

“If you give me more time I’ll do whatever you want” He mumbled against his bed

“Ok! See you in a while!” His mom said as she happily got out of his bed and went outside of his room to get ready. Even if he wanted to sleep today, he must admit that he misses his mom more than sleep

He decides not to disappoint his mother and leaves his bed to take a bath. If he stayed, there was no way he could get up later. He went to his bathroom and filled the tub with warm water, so warm you could even see steam coming out of it. That’s how he likes the temperature of his baths. He usually showers but he decides to bath since it is more relaxing. Before he got in the tub fully, he sees something written in his left wrist.

’Choi Soobin’

He makes a confused expression since he doesn’t understand how it ended up in his wrist. Of all of the times he was with Soobin back at the hospital, they never had a pen with them and neither of them for sure could be able to do such calligraphy. The only way they could write like this is if they lived five hundred years ago, which in fact, isn’t the case. Yeonjun submerges his arm hoping to clean the ink off his arm but gets surprised as he sees that it doesn’t come off. Now Soobin’s name was turning into a blob of ink in his arm instead of getting off into the water of the tub. He stops spreading the ink since it was making it worse. Then, he stares carefully at it; it is now grouping into … something. He can’t believe his eyes when the stain of ink transforms into three little fish swimming around his own arm. He took the arm of the tub to look at it closely but now the fish instead of swimming are jumping like fish out of water. He kept watching carefully with awe, he really was seeing these things. After some time, one fish after the other splashed into his skin forming a blob just like before as they took their last jump.

“What is going on?” Yeonjun murmurs to himself in the lonely bathroom

The three stains moved synchronized to his wrist and merged. Yeonjun couldn’t look away from this magical sight, he really could believe it. Then the stain returned to its original form, leaving in his wrist ’Choi Soobin’ just as before he got in the tub.

* * *

Soobin was a natural curious person, if he didn’t know something he was the first one to ask questions about it ever since he was a little kid. Many people say that curiosity killed the cat but he doesn’t believe in that … maybe it had some truth since his curiosity for the cliff almost killed him for real. But if we are being honest what are the probabilities of this saying to be true in his everyday life? Whatever the answer is, he just believes the smallest number he can imagine.

He hasn’t left his room all morning, not even for breakfast or lunch. He convinced his grandma to help him scoot the food into his bedroom without his mother knowing. She was his partner in crime; every mischief he has done inside the house included his grandma. He kept the dishes with him and later at night when everyone is asleep, he would return them and wash them without anyone knowing. He has become an expert thanks to the many times he has done it.

Ever since the mark in his hand transformed into a sun, he has carefully played with it to understand what it is. He has moved it from limb to limb effortlessly; he just had to place it over the part of his body he wanted it to be. Sometimes this was difficult since the mark transformed into an animal and it actually moved by its own. Earlier it transformed into a horse and it sprinted from his leg up to his neck. He also realizes that it has a personality, and it had the capacity of hearing him like before when he begged for it to transform into something different from a spider. If these animals weren’t in his skin, he would believe they were actually alive.

Though his entertainment ended as the horse moved to his right wrist and transformed into an egg. Soobin shook it lightly and it wobbled without falling, he tried to move it elsewhere but he couldn’t. Maybe there were times he couldn’t change the appearance of the mark. This also gave more evidence to him that it had a personality of its own, or something similar. The egg remained static for the rest of the time, nothing he did interacted with it. Soobin pretended to be distracted with his cellphone or he pretended to fall asleep but the egg didn’t budge, it was as if it knew him perfectly.

He doesn’t know why he is so attached to this egg, blob, mark or whatever it is. Maybe this is just a dream, like those he has had these couple of days. Maybe he really was going insane and this was all in his mind. He now considers going to a psychiatrist to receive therapy. He got distracted as he got a notification in his phone; it was a text from Yeonjun.

“What the hell is this?” Yeonjun texted him. He would answer back if he knew what was wrong. Yeonjun sent him an image of his wrist as if there was something in there but no matter how much he zoomed in, there was nothing.

“What do you mean?” Soobin texted back

“I am talking about your name tattooed on my wrist!” Yeonjun said “Oh … Wait what? I can’t see it in the photo”

“You have my name on your wrist?” Soobin texts him

“Yeah, it’s like a tattoo … but not really. You might think I’m crazy but … it transformed into fish earlier”

“I have one too, I had your name in my wrist” Soobin texts Yeonjun as fast as he can “It’s an egg right now though”

“What? You are kidding right …”

“I swear, for real”

“Meet me at Avenue City Mall in thirty minutes”

“I’ll be there”

* * *

He feels so guilty right now, he promised his mom they would do things together today but now he had other things at hand. He went down the stairs to where his mother was. She was getting ready for the movie day they would have but he needs to change plans but he doesn’t know how to cancel plans with her, she will be devastated.

“Mom …” He started to say awkwardly, he really felt uncomfortable doing this

“Oh Yeonjunnie! I was getting worried that you fell asleep” She said with a big smile on her face “Come, everything will be set up in just a couple of seconds”

“I have something to tell you … it’s kind of … urgent” Yeonjun said in the lowest voice he had

“What is it honey? Are you not feeling well?” His mother said very concerned “Miss Yu please call the doctor”

“No, no … it’s not that” Yeonjun tried to come up with a lie, or something similar “Soobin is kind of sick still … I would like to see him … if it’s ok” He said as he held his head down to his mom

“Oh no … Is he alright?” His mom said with a sad expression “Sure honey, you should go. Let me grab my purse and then we can leave”

“No! Mom …” He may have said the first part a little loud but he had to convince her to stay “You see …” No other lies were coming to his mind

“Madam, sorry to interrupt” One maid said as she came into the conversation, it was Tortoise “Beomgyu’s mom is on the phone right now, she informed me she is having some friends coming over tonight. She is asking for your presence in this event”

“Yes! That! I forgot to tell you about … that” Yeonjun said exasperatedly, Tortoise has saved him once again

“Did she say something about a … crème brûlée?” His mother asked hopeful

“I believe I heard something about it” Tortoise said

“Don’t worry mom, I’ll tell Soobin you care for him. You can go and have fun” Yeonjun said

“Are you sure honey?”

“Yeah, go ahead. We can even go shopping tomorrow if you want anything you want”

“Oh well … since you are begging me to go” His mom said with the same expression he used when he said those exact same words. He really is his mom’s son “Go honey, take care of Soobin. And don’t forget, shopping tomorrow”

“How could I …” Yeonjun said with a fake smile in his face, maybe he went a bit too far with the shopping thing

* * *

Soobin was sitting on a bench right in front of the fountain they said they would meet up. There was still some time left until the half an hour passed so technically Yeonjun wasn’t late. While he waited he kept staring at the immobile egg, it still hadn’t change even after all this time. He was growing impatient for some reason. The people that passed by him may think he is insane since he keeps staring at his wrist, though he doesn’t judge them since he also believes he is losing his mind.

“Sorry I’m late” He heard someone say. He looked to his side and there was Yeonjun taking over the free space left of the bench

“Hi, you are not late at all” Soobin said

“So …” Yeonjun said awkwardly

“Look” He said as he showed his wrist to Yeonjun “Is this what you are talking about?”

“Did you really tattooed an egg in your wrist? An egg?” Yeonjun said mockingly

“It was your name at first then it-“ Soobin argued but when he looked at the egg it started to crack

Both of them got closer to see what was going on. The egg started shaking and then it cracked at the top. The top part fell off but there was nothing inside, until a little tongue peeked out of the egg. A little skinny snake came out of the huge egg and coiled itself as it looked at them both. None of them moved, they probably didn’t even breathe to avoid scaring away the tiny snake that looked at them with curiosity.

Soobin brought his left arm by the side of his right one to see if the snake would cross to the other side. The snake peeked curiously and after debating it, it crossed to his other wrist. The egg in his right hand returned to the usual blob and also crossed to his left wrist. The ink from the egg formed the letters ’Choi Ye njun’. Then the snake approached the space were the ’o’ was supposed to be and it curled into itself to form the whole name just as he had seen it in the beginning

They looked at each other with stunned eyes

* * *

“What do I do!? Soobin!” Yeonjun screamed in panic

After what they witnessed with Soobin’s mark, Soobin was teaching him everything he knew about it. He didn’t know much but the things he knows he explained them to Yeonjun.

“Hey calm down, you are making it scared” Soobin said as he held onto Yeonjun to keep him stable “Look, there is nothing to worry about”

Soobin had the idea of waking up his mark. He still didn’t get how it worked so he left Soobin the hard work while he only watched the repercussions of his actions. They moved somewhere more private where no one else could see the mark. Soobin told him to think of anything, preferably an animal since those were alive and according to Soobin, had a personality. After many tries of thinking of a dog and with nothing happening, he grew inpatient. He wanted to have something similar to what he saw in Soobin’s arm but his mark kept the same old ’Choi Soobin’. If he is being honest, he was starting to hate that name. Soobin comforted him that it took time but Yeonjun started arguing about it since he couldn’t take more of the compassionate speech of his friend. It was until Soobin shut him up and pointed at his wrist when he could see a raccoon forming in it. He was happy to see his mark come alive but suddenly grew scared of it since the raccoon started moving up his arm into his collarbone. That’s where we are right now.

“Hi … Coonnie” Yeonjun said with his scared tone as he struggled to see the raccoon. The little raccoon sniffed upwards to were his face was, then it got comfortable and went to sleep

“He likes you” Soobin said with a big smile in his face “He is so cute”

“Yeah … He is” Yeonjun said now with a warm heart

“Let’s wait until he wakes up”

“What do you think this is?”

“I don’t know … I just know I woke up with it today and now we are here”

“Are we going crazy?” Yeonjun said without looking away from Coonnie

“Maybe” Soobin chuckled “Maybe this is just a dream who knows”

“We are sharing a dream?” Yeonjun asked confused

“Maybe I’m the one asleep and you are just my imagination or the other way around … I don’t know. It’s very confusing”

“I hope I don’t wake up then … or you I guess … whatever”

“You want some ice cream?” Soobin asked “There is a shop over there”

“Yeah why not”

“Maybe you should cover up a little, in case you know Coonnie wakes up” Soobin laughed as he finished the sentence

“Are you making fun of him?” Yeonjun said insulted that Soobin was laughing at his Coonnie

“Not at all, that’s the perfect name for him. How could I hate my favorite animal?”

* * *

Ice cream was great of course; it was ice cream after all. The only bad thing about it was that Coonnie woke up shaking because of how cold it was, apparently, they also feel temperature. Though he didn’t return to his usual blob, he just moved to Yeonjun’s back of his hand where he wasn’t cold. He thought it was really cute seeing the little raccoon crawling and sleeping. Maybe there isn't much time they will have with Coonnie but since he is still there, they wanted to spend the time with him.

The sun was going down but it was still early so they don’t have to go their separate ways just yet. They were really enjoying the time talking to each other, walking from side to side of the mall and also looking at Coonnie from time to time. It was such a mom and dad move to take care of Coonnie but, what can they do? They really adored the little guy.

“Hey look, yours is waking up” Yeonjun said as he pointed at his wrist and in fact it really was. From the dark blob emerged a fox, it looked side to side as if it was looking for something.

“Hi, bud” Soobin said to the fox, he couldn’t hide the smile he had in his face. The fox looked at him but quickly turned into the direction Yeonjun's hand was. To be more precise, to where Coonnie was.

“Coonnie is waking up” Yeonjun said “Should we …?”

“Let's see what happens” Soobin said as he put his hand next to Yeonjun's as to form a bridge. The two animals approached each other cautiously like any other animal would. They sniffed each other and came closer when they realized they wouldn’t hurt each other. Then the fox looked at Soobin as if asking for something, like permission “You can go” Soobin said and right after, the fox jumped to Yeonjun's side.

“That’s new” Yeonjun said “Now I have two” he said teasingly with a grin in his face as if he won

“Yeah, yeah” Soobin said as he rolled his eyes. He was curious about something. What if he broke the bridge? Would the fox return to him? He was scared to do it but he wanted to know. He tried to move away his arm but he brought along Yeonjun's hand with him, as if they were glued. They weren’t even holding hands; they just had their hands side by side. There was nothing physical connecting them both only the bridge made of ink.

“What are you doing?” Yeonjun asked

“I can't separate my hand” Soobin said as he pulled but he only brought Yeonjun with him once again

“I can’t either” Yeonjun said as he tried “Take your fox back, maybe that way the bridge will brake”

“Hey, bud come here …” Soobin said as if talking to a dog. It was a little embarrassing but what could he do in this situation? It didn’t took long for the fox to return to him, and in fact, this time they could separate both hands “It worked”

“Bye Coonnie …” Yeonjun said as his little raccoon dissolved to form his name in Yeonjun's wrist. It also happened with his fox so he also said his goodbyes.

* * *

“So? Was he ok? Everything alright?” His mom asked him repeatedly after he entered the house. He was so tired from today. All of the learning and experimentation he did his mark and Soobin’s exhausted him. They managed to appreciate many other forms of the marks throughout the day. He is still so confused as to what it is and why this dream is so long. He hasn’t had a dream where he feels so exhausted. When is he going to wake up?

“Yes mom, everything is alright” Yeonjun said as trying to keep his eyes open as he went up to his room

“I’m happy then. Oh! Don’t forget about tomorrow! We are going shopping!” His mom said with full excitement

“Sure mom, see you tomorrow” He mumbled before he entered his room

Yeonjun stumbled into his bed and almost fell asleep on the spot. He could fall asleep with these clothes on, but the thing that kept him awake was the mark by his left wrist. Right now there is no raccoon or fish or kite like before, it only says ’Choi Soobin’ but just by looking at it he gets filled with happiness. He feels as if he has superpowers and that his dreams of when he was a kid were coming true. Though he wasn’t flying or breathing underwater, but this feels so fictional that there is no way this is real. He doesn’t want to go asleep right now since going to sleep probably means that he would wake up from this dream. Even though it has been a weird one, he hopes he doesn’t forget about it when he wakes up. He wants to keep it even if it’s just a memory, a very good memory.

* * *

’Choi Yeonjun’

He kept reading it out loud throughout the night. He was so enchanted by the calligraphy, the dark black ink, the perfectly drawn lines, everything. Maybe hours have passed since he got in his bed and read the same two words over and over again after he returned from the mall but he doesn’t know; his world orbits around the mark in his wrist. If there was something he could compare how he feels, he would say Gollum from The Lord of the Rings is a very close subject to him right now. He really couldn’t take his eyes of the mark waiting for it to change into something new.

Soobin got excited when he saw the ink tremble and lose its normal composure, it was a sign that a new transformation was coming. Though he didn’t expect the letters to rotate, merge, and form other letters as they formed new words in his wrist.

“We meet once again” This sentence is written with the same calligraphy and style from before

“Yeonjun?” He asked, he thought of the idea that Yeonjun was sending him this message but this seemed too formal to be his

“Have you gone down?” Now Soobin realizes who was talking to him, the wolf

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to see” He read but instantly the words moved to form another phrase “Marked at last”

“Did you do this to us?”

“No”

“Then who?” Soobin asked confused

He never got an answer back, the mark returned to its original form

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you liked the curse marks! I want to explain to you why they are like this so eagerly, you don’t understand how much I am holding back. I enjoyed writing this kind of cute chapter and I hope you did as you read it. I may keep leaving little spoilers in the next chapters if I find a way of not spoiling the whole plot of the fic so be careful if you don’t want to know! Thank you so much for the support and for reading! See you! <3
> 
> ///SPOILER///  
> Title of the next chapter ’The Other Side of the Bridge’


	27. The Other Side of the Bridge

Soobin must have slept so comfortably that now he feels he is laying on a cloud. He had never felt his old mattress feel so soft and comfy as right now. Even his pillows are like a piece of heaven, it was this good. He could roll multiple times in his bed without falling to the floor, maybe he is still dreaming. This was a good morning, even the birds are chirping and the wind blew softly across the trees making that soothing sound he likes so much.

“Master, breakfast is ready” A voice said near him, he didn’t know from where since he hasn’t even opened his eyes “Would you like to eat in bed or in the dining room? I suppose your mother would like to eat with you this morning”

“What?” Soobin said confused. He is still drowsy from the great sleep he had and also because he thought he would never be addressed with that word ever again.

“My apologies, I should have spoken more clearly. Where would you like to eat your breakfast?” The woman asked him again. This confused him once again. Did his family hire a helper when he was gone and he didn’t know about it?

“Down stairs …” He finally said

“Your mother will be glad to hear this news, excuse me” The woman said before she went out the room. That’s what it seemed like since he still hasn’t taken his head from under the covers.

Soobin slowly rose from the covers to look around him. He was in a room he has never been in before, and he knows that very clearly since this bedroom is bigger than his whole house. None of the houses he had been before had a bedroom this big. He looks around completely lost of where he is. Everything seemed to be expensive and tidy, like taken from an interior design magazine.

He scooted off the huge bed that felt like heaven and slowly walked to one of the doors he saw. Before he opened it, he listened through it in case there was someone nearby but he couldn’t hear a sound. He peeked a little and saw a big corridor with multiple doors every so often. It looked like a hotel no joke. He closed it and went for another one. The next one was a bathroom. It was super luxurious just as the rest of the things he has seen so far. The stands were made of that expensive stone you sometimes saw on rich people’s kitchen and the towels were made of the smoothest silk he has touched. Then, he finally noticed the big mirror hanging on the wall.

At first he laughed, he was dreaming once again definitely. He made different expressions with his face, even waved his arms in different directions but the person he saw in the mirror doing the same exact things he did wasn’t him. He didn’t see his own reflection but Yeonjun’s.

“Master Yeonjun, are you in the bathroom?” The same voice from before said

“Y- Yes?” Soobin replied, but he also noticed the different tone of his voice

“Breakfast is served; your mother is waiting for you”

“B- Be right there. Just give me a minute” He said to the woman outside the bathroom as he tried to understand what was going on

“Very well master”

Soobin couldn’t understand what was happening, so he just started to look for scars or moles he knew he had but he didn’t find them, not even one. He then looked at something that caught his attention. It was his wrist, he still had the mark from yesterday, it was exactly the same but instead of it saying Yeonjun’s name, it said his.

He heard a ring coming from the bedroom so he went to inspect it. It was a phone, he knew whose it was since he had seen in many times before but what caught his attention was the person that was calling him. It was he! Soobin was calling him, he was calling himself!

Soobin answered the call

* * *

There are two possible options right now. Either he slept on the floor all night or someone stabbed him on the back a hundred times while he was asleep. Little did he know that none of those was the real case. His back and neck are killing him, he can barely move without feeling pain. Just what happened to his bed and why are his pillows so skinny? Also, who the hell brought this bunny to his bed? Was it a gift from his mom? It doesn’t look new at all.

“Son, wake up, breakfast is ready” A male voice said. Wait … did he hear right? Son? Did his mom remarried without him knowing or is she cheating on his dad? ”Soobin?” The person said as he entered the room

“Wh- Wh” He tried to say in shock

“Oh you are awake. Then go down or your mother will get mad … you know how she is” The man left the room, he has seen him somewhere but can’t point out where or when.

He looks at the room he is in, it is … so small. How could someone sleep here? You couldn’t even take two steps before reaching the closet. And let’s not talk about the bed or whatever it tried to be. He knows single beds existed but this is laughable, if you moved just a little your body was hanging by the end of it. Apparently, this bed is extremely small since his feet hang over the edge of it. He has never experienced this feeling; he now knows why his feet were so cold. But wait … did he call him … Soobin and acted as if everything was fine?

Yeonjun stood up and looked around the room. Before he went to bed, he wasn’t this tall or maybe this room was too small even he felt big in it. Hey, he isn’t small but right now, he feels tall as a skyscraper. He grabbed the phone that was standing by the night table and unlocked it. He can tell this isn’t his since this one is two or three models older than the one he owns and also because of the fact that it doesn’t have a password. The lock screen was a photo of Soobin in the middle with a bunch of people in a classroom. It was decorated with balloons, a cake, and a sign that said ’Congratulations!’ as if they were celebrating something. He didn’t look at it for long and activated the camera to see his face. The screen showed a face that wasn’t his but Soobin’s. He quickly closed the app and looked at the photos. These aren’t his photos; he doesn’t even have photos saved on his phone. This cellphone was Soobin’s and he was also … Soobin.

Yeonjun went straight for the contacts and looked for his name. If he was in Soobin’s body then the most reasonable thing he expected is for Soobin to be on his, so he called himself. He waited for a couple of seconds as he wandered around the room waiting. There wasn’t much place to walk to so he just repeated the same ten seven steps over and over again.

“Hello?” He heard the other person pick up, it was his own voice

“Who is this?” Yeonjun asked

“Uhh …” He could hear the person debate the answer he would give

“Are you … Soobin?” He cautiously asked. There wasn’t much to lose if he asked but it was still nerve-racking to say it aloud

“Yeonjun?”

“Soobin it really is you”

“Yeonjun … what is going on?” Soobin asked him … or well he asked himself, whatever it is Soobin after all

“I don’t know” He really didn’t know what they were going to do. What do people do in this situation? Laugh it off and move on? He can’t do that

“Do you still have the mark?” At this Yeonjun checked his wrist and saw his own name in it

“Yeah, it says my name”

“Mine says mine as well. Then … we really did switch bodies?”

“Oh … I didn’t notice that, well now that you mention it I think we did” Yeonjun said sarcastically

“Soobin! Don’t make me count!” He heard a voice coming from outside his room. He knows that voice very well; he has listened to it repeatedly the last two days nonstop but this time with an angry tone

“What do I do!? Your mother is calling for me! She said she would count! Count for what?” Yeonjun said as his voice shook in fear. It has been years since his own mother spoke to him this way; well to be honest this was the first time someone spoke to him in this tone

“Go! Go! Let’s talk later, whatever you do don’t let her count to three!” Soobin said to him

“One!” Soobin’s mom started saying

“Soobin! She said one! What do I do!?” Yeonjun was screaming at the phone for help “Is she-“ Yeonjun stopped talking as he heard a beep, Soobin ended the call

“Two!” He heard loudly and angrier than before

“Coming!” Yeonjun said as he sprinted through the door and down the stairs. He must have missed a step or something because a couple of seconds later he face planted against the wooden floor

“Bunny! That was a rough landing” An old female voice said as he tried to pick himself up

“At least he was on time, imagine what would happen if he didn’t fly down the stairs” He looked up and there were four people sitting in the table. Only the old couple looked preoccupied enough to look in his direction.

“Are you ok bunny?” The old woman asked him

“Don’t worry …” He finally said. His day couldn’t be going worse. Yeonjun slowly walked to the table and sat on the free seat

“Let’s eat” Soobin’s dad said, now he knows why he knows him

“Kid, are you hurting somewhere?” The old man asked him

“N- No” Yeonjun shook his head and tried to say it fluently but he was so uncomfortable right now

“Here have some coffee bunny; it will wake you in an instant” Soobin’s grandmother said as she served him a cup of coffee

“No! Stop!” Maybe he shouldn’t have said that. Everyone in the table was looking at him with a surprised expression except one person, the one he fears most. Soobin’s mom was staring into his soul as if she wanted to kill him for real.

“What did you say? Didn’t I teach you manners since the first day you were born?” She said as she smacked his head “Do I have to spell it for you? Don’t talk to your elders that way! At least have the decency of saying ’No thank you’. I thought you had already learned”

“Honey-“ Soobin’s dad tried to say, but got interrupted by the fierce glare of his wife

“I’m sorry … I won’t be so disrespectful next time” Yeonjun said as he hid his face from everyone

“No harm done bunny, let’s eat” The old woman said with a bright smile. He can see the resemblance of that smile; it is just like Soobin’s. He just nodded and ate in silence to avoid making any more mistakes

He can recognize some dishes on the table while others not so much. This breakfast was so different from what he used to have on his home. Not just because of the food but because of the ambience of it. He was used to silent meals, he and the maids by his side waiting for his orders but now, he is sitting on a loud table were conversation doesn’t end. Soobin’s family talked about the news, the gossip of certain celebrities and other stuff, normal stuff. Not the usual topics he was accustomed to listen to like business deals or investments, of course, in the moments when his whole family gathered to eat, which hadn’t happened since years ago.

The food wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. He doesn’t want to be rude or anything but the appearance of it is very different to what he was used to. But it didn’t disappoint to say the least. Sure it wasn’t made by the professional chefs he had back home but it was good. He lies to himself, the food wasn’t good, it was delicious. Whoever made this deserves so much recognition.

“You like it kid?” Soobin’s grandfather asks him with a smile in his face

“Yes, thank you. It’s delicious” He said with a lot of anxiety. He rehearsed this many times in his head trying to make it sound the most generous he could. He doesn’t want to be smacked again

“How could he not father, your cooking is the best” Soobin’s father said as he put his thumb up “Keep up the good work, the restaurant must do well. Thank you for the delicious food”

“Stop flattering him so much, he is my father” Soobin’s mom said as she playfully hit him with her elbow “You will make me look like a bad daughter”

“We may not be related by blood but I love him as my own son” Soobin’s grandfather said

“Thank you father” Soobin’s dad said as he kissed his wife on the cheek

“Love you too dad!” Soobin’s mom said loudly as to prove her affection to him

“These kids” The old woman said as she smiled so warmly he could feel the love she had for them

Years may have passed since he saw so much love around him. He may have never been around so much love in his life to be truthful. Not even his family was capable of expressing their feelings like these ones, if they had any. He can now see why Soobin is so different from the others; he just wished he could have this. At least for a little while more, or in another life.

* * *

“Miss Yu! We are ready for dessert!” Yeonjun’s mom said excited

“D- Dessert?” Soobin stuttered. The food has been really good up ‘til now, it was so high class and petite. But he never had dessert for breakfast. He never has dessert to be honest, only on special occasions like his birthday or … his birthday.

“Would you like a fruit tartelette or a cinnamon roll?” One maid asked him

“I would like …” Soobin didn’t know what to choose. Both seem like really good options but he doesn’t really know what they taste like

“I know my son best, just bring him both” Yeonjun’s mom said as she lightly laughed “So … are you excited for today?” Soobin doesn’t know what is happening today but he must act as if he knows

“Yes I am mom” Soobin started saying “I’m very excited”

“I’m glad you are, I am too! It has been a while since I pampered my son”

“Really?” Soobin just said this to make conversation

“Well of course! A year without seeing my own son makes my heart weak. Let’s find you some clothes or whatever you want, ok?”

“Sure mom, thank you so much” Soobin said a little disheartened. He didn’t know Yeonjun hasn’t seen his mother for so long, he for sure couldn’t do it.

“Here you have master, enjoy the food” The maid said as she brought both desserts to him, he just kept looking at them in awe.

“Thank you so much miss” Soobin said

“My son is so well mannered” Yeonjun’s mom said as she looked at him dearly “I am so happy you ended just fine … I’m sorry I wasn’t here to see you become the person you are today” She started tearing up

“M- … Mom …” Soobin almost said ’miss Lee Eun-kyung’ out of respect but then remembered to keep it as if he was Yeonjun

“Don’t worry honey! I am ok” Yeonjun’s mom said as she removed the tears from her face “Let’s finish this quickly so we can go shopping” She brought out the biggest smile she could, he can tell it isn’t fake, she really is happy to be with her son

* * *

Yeonjun returned to Soobin’s room going back to where he had come from. It wasn’t difficult to get there since there weren’t much places to go in the house and because his was the only room on the second floor. He liked the idea of having a whole floor all to himself but this wasn’t what he imagined when he thought of it. Once inside, he looked around at the room. It was so different from his. Soobin’s walls had many photos of his family, childhood, friends and posters of his favorite artists. It was very busy and full with personality, not like his. He doesn’t know if this style calls up to him but it surely reminds him of Soobin. There wasn’t much to see apart from the photos, the only things left in the room were a bed, a night table a big window and the closet. He sat on the bed and unlocked Soobin’s phone, he tries not to laugh since his weight made the bed creak. Yeonjun doesn’t want to invade Soobin’s privacy by looking at the things he had on his phone, even if he did a little of it earlier but it was a different situation. He sends himself a text with the numbers of his password. If he had access to Soobin’s phone, it was fair that he had to his.

He stayed on the spot looking around Soobin’s room. There was nothing left to see but he just keeps looking, as he is deep in thoughts. He laughs at the idea that the reason Soobin is so well mannered is because of how many smacks he has had in his life. Just the idea of baby Soobin being hit in the same way he was earlier made him giggle. He glances at the mark in his wrist, it was already awake. Instead of his name, it had a doe. The doe just looked from side to side as if it was aware of something.

“Hi, you might be looking for him. It’s just me for … well I don’t know for how long … maybe forever” Yeonjun talked to the doe and it looked at him right back “Why are you all so cute” The doe rotated his head to the right as if it was confused, this made Yeonjun chuckle a bit. Then Soobin’s phone rang.

“Thank you” It was a message from Soobin “I’ll only use it to text you don’t worry”

“I don’t have much stuff anyways” Yeonjun texted back

“Yeonjun …” He waited for the other message “I am going shopping with your mom”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. There wasn’t time earlier”

“Yeah … but …”

“What is it? You don’t want to?”

“No, no, it’s not like that”

“Then …”

“I have to get ready” Yeonjun didn’t react at first; he just had to get ready, what was wrong with that? But then he realized what Soobin meant

“Why are you telling me this!?” Yeonjun texted as he blushed like never before

“You know why! I also wanted to know if there would be, you know … boundaries” Boundaries? Yeonjun can’t take it no longer; his face will implode any second now

“Stop!”

“What do you want me to do then?” He doesn’t know if Soobin is completely fine with having this conversation but he and his face are not having such a blast

“Do whatever you need to do! Don’t text me again! Ever!”

“Hey! If you don’t remember, you are in my body too. This conversation was going to happen anyways”

“Just shut up, you are making it worse”

“So … no boundaries?”

“SOOBIN! I ALREADY TOLD YOU!”

“I just wanted to confirm … then … you also … have no boundaries I guess”

“I am going to block you”

“No! Ok, ok, sorry I won’t talk about it again”

“Just go get ready, don’t make my mom wait”

“Yeah sure, bye then”

This must be the most embarrassing experience he has had in his life. Why were the most embarrassing moments of his life with Soobin? Back at the cabin, he was so shy of him seeing him without a shirt and now he was going to see him, for real. If he knew what he knows now, he would have shown him everything that time so that this one wasn’t as awkward and disturbing. Ok, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea as he had thought, now he can’t stop imagining the scene of them both naked sharing a bathroom. His face was red, he knows that from minutes ago but now he is sweating from how hot his body is. Well … how hot Soobin’s body is.

* * *

Ok … this is it. The step of no return, after he takes this boxer off, he will cross the line and he won’t be able to have the innocence he has right now. This really was the beginning of a new era. The Soobin before this decision won’t be the same as the one that comes after addressing the elephant in the room. Well … he doesn’t quite know if it is an elephant but that’s not important right now! After he does this, he won’t be able to see Yeonjun the way he does now. Now that he thinks of it, Yeonjun won’t be able to see him after he too makes this decision. He hopes their friendship can withstand this; he really wanted to keep their friendship as it is.

Enough with the talk, he just did it and went for business. He took a shower without opening his eyes. He clashed with the shampoo bottles and the conditioner since he was blindly trying to find them. Everything was going well until he had to clean the rest of his body. He quickly turned the water temperature to the coldest he could, his face and the rest of body was heating up from the embarrassment. If he continued showering with the warm water from before he would probably overheat. He began with his upper body, which he had grown familiar with. He had seen it before and it wasn’t new that he was touching it. In his mind, he realizes how bad this sounds and believe me, he knows very well. As he scrubbed and touched every muscle one of the thoughts that came to his mind was ’Damn, even with my eyes closed I can recognize this is Yeonjun’s body’. There were others that talked about how his body was marked and athletic but he decides to keep them at the back of his mind. Specially that one that said how hot it was.

Now came what he dreaded most, not even the ice cold water was helping him. He did three second countdowns multiple times but before he went to cero, he always never went in. So he forces himself to do it without a countdown, this way he won’t his change his mind. As he did his thing, he kept saying to himself this was his body and not Yeonjun’s and also kept his mind busy so he couldn’t come up with dirty thoughts that would definitely stain his perception of his friend. After all, he knows how tidy and clean Yeonjun was and specially with himself so he just did it for him, of course … for him. Now with his biggest concern out of the way, he cleaned the rest of his body.

Soobin dried himself off with a towel and searched for a good outfit in Yeonjun’s wardrobe. It wasn’t difficult to choose because with these fashionable clothes there was no way of styling it the wrong way. Though, he took a long time choosing since he kept looking at the endless supply of clothes, it was like a shop but in a closet. He finally decided to wear something that reminded him of Yeonjun, you know, the usual bad boy, ripped black-jeans, leather jacket … you know the drill. These weren’t the clothes he wore but he understood that he had to go as Yeonjun, not Soobin.

He went downstairs and found Yeonjun’s mom waiting for him. She quickly dragged him out of the house without saying a word. As he went out the main door, he constantly nodded and said goodbye to the employees of the house.

“What was that? Is that really master Yeonjun?” The employees asked each other now that they were out of the house

“Somebody in that trip taught him manners! Halleluiah!” Tortoise and the others screamed

* * *

“What do I do? You have to help me buddy” Yeonjun begged to the doe in his wrist, but as before, the doe looked at him confused. After a couple of blinks, the doe only turned her head to where the problem was. Yeonjun was also struggling with the shower thing, and the evident thing he was going to clean soon. Since the day is so hot and he hasn’t stopped sweating from the continuous blush, he feels dirty and in need of a shower. “Yeah I know, I am asking you for help not facts” Yeonjun fought with the little doe “Do you know if … Soobin already did it?” This time the doe nodded to him.

After his little chat with the doe, Yeonjun felt filled with courage. If Soobin was able to do it, there is no reason for him to be making so much drama about it. Yeonjun took off his clothes and looked at himself in the mirror in front of him. He could only see the upper body, the fraction he knew about but he didn’t dare to look downwards. The same body he had seen back at the cabin’s bathroom was in the mirror, it was just as he remembered it, it was very similar to his if he is being honest. So … saying Soobin’s body was hot and simply perfect is like flattering himself … right. Whatever the answer is, he convinces himself ’Yes’ is the answer.

Before he entered the shower, he looked at the doe once more, he thanks god he did. Over the doe, there was a cloud that rained down to her and she had her cute little ears covering her own eyes as if it was shy. But he knows the doe isn’t shy, she is telling him Soobin closed his eyes as he showered. This may seem like a vague explanation but something tells him that’s what Soobin did, he just knows.

Yeonjun transported his mind elsewhere, he didn’t even think about he was doing. He just kept scrubbing and cleaning his body as if it was his own. They had very similar body structure so he moved on … except for the fact that he can clearly recognize this is Soobin’s body. He almost slipped in the tiny shower as he heard banging on the door.

“Soobin, honey … You are playing with my nerves today” Soobin’s mom said as she held her hate for him, it wouldn’t take long until it escaped. What did he do wrong this time? “I don’t know if those rich kids shower for fifteen minutes but let me remind you we can’t do that, unless you pay for the bill of course” Damn, shit, right. Soobin always showered in a minute or so. How could he do that? Soobin always came out the shower looking squeaky clean, even more that his other roommates.

“Be right outside!” Yeonjun feared for his life, how did Soobin survive for so long in this minefield of household? He then remembered the rules of this house so he also said “Thank you for reminding me mom!”

“No worries Soobin just make sure to get out quickly. You may catch a cold” Soobin’s mom said with love this time. Maybe he just had to have manners to be on her good side. Unlucky for him, he doesn’t know much about them

* * *

“What do you think of this one?” Soobin was in a changing room of one of the shops he and Yeonjun’s mom went to look for clothes. He did a FaceTime to Yeonjun so that he could choose the clothes he wanted, he might ruin his wardrobe if he personally chose his clothes “Do you like it?”

“Try the other shirt with those pants” Yeonjun said. Soobin placed the phone against the wall over a chair and changed his top just as Yeonjun told him “Damn …”

“What? Is it that good?” Soobin asked as he looked himself in the mirror

“I just realized how hot I am”

“Glad you know” Soobin said as he rolled his eyes

“Hey not my fault”

“Sure, sure … so? What do you think?”

“Just get the pants I have enough shirts like that one”

“Sure but do you need this much clothes? I swear we are carrying more than twenty bags right now and we have made trips to the car to leave some behind. By this point you have bought more clothes than I have owned all of my life” Soobin jokingly said

“It’s not for me, but for my mom. She enjoys buying things for me and … we haven’t seen each other in a long time. If this makes her happy then I let her”

“Yeah I heard … Talking about moms. Did my mom do something to you?”

“She smacked me in the head on breakfast” Yeonjun said as patted the spot on his head where she hit him

“Sorry for that …”

“Don’t worry; today I learned I have no manners at all”

“Honey? How is it going?” Yeonjun’s mom asked him from outside

“Oh, your mom is calling me. I’ll call you later”

“Sure …”

“Again sorry for that” Soobin apologized once again

“I know, I know”

* * *

How do people do this? He knows the basics of course, who wouldn’t? But how does he begin? After dinner, he tried to return to Soobin’s room as fast as possible to avoid getting in more trouble but before he went up, she grabbed the back of his shirt.

“Where are you going?” She said to him

“I’m going to my room mom. The food was delicious thank you so much” Yeonjun tried to hide his fear with a fake smile “Did I tell you that you look beautiful today mom?”

“I know honey, with or without your feedback, I know” Damn, and he thought Beomgyu was obnoxious “I think you are forgetting something” He looked at Soobin’s grandmother, she was holding and pointing at the plate

“Ahh, sure mom. I forgot … to wash the dishes”

That’s what happened and now we are here. He squished the bottle of soap curiously and put some in the sponge. He doesn’t know if this is wrong but this is his way of doing things. If he is being really honest, the amount of disgust that he feels right now is capable of making him throw up but he knows that if he did he would probably be the one to clean it so he is holding it in. It wasn’t that the plates were that dirty, it was just the idea of touching bland food and dirty soap.

After finishing this torturous task, he hid under the covers of Soobin’s bed and pretended to be dead. How long will it take for him to return to his normal life? He hates it here; if Beomgyu knew of this, he wouldn’t be able to stop him from making jokes for the rest of his life.

Yeonjun uses the flashlight of his phone to see the mark, right now it was on his right forearm. It was a bubble moving from side to side as if it was blown by the wind; apparently, it likes to transform into recent events just like washing dishes. Yeonjun touched it out of curiosity and it popped. The droplets merged once again and formed the bubble just as it was, it entertained him a lot even if nothing new happened. Then someone called him, it was Soobin.

“Hi, me” Yeonjun said

“Hi, me” Soobin said back jokingly

“Why are you calling? Is my mom buying you more stuff?”

“No, we are back home. I was about to go to bed. I just … wanted to talk to you”

“Oh … well of what? Don’t you dare to say anything about the conversation from earlier”

“No, no. I just wanted to know how was your day. I know my mom is a bit much sometimes”

“Don’t worry at all. Only of the fact that your hands feel weird and soapy”

“Did my mom make you wash the dishes!?” Soobin started to laugh loudly

“She made you wash the dishes; if it was me she wouldn’t have done that”

“Anyways, she did”

“Yeah she did” Yeonjun finally gave up, it was true after all

“Leave it like that, I’ll take care of it?”

“How?”

“Well when I go back … oh right … we don’t know that yet”

“Will we be like this forever?”

“I don’t know …” None of them spoke for a couple of seconds

“It’s late, we should go to bed” Yeonjun finally said “I don’t know about you but I’m tired”

“I am too … see you tomorrow then”

“Sure … bye”

The call ended and both of them went to sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! The body swap is finally here! I hope you enjoyed it! It seems that a lot of time has passed since I started writing this and until now I begin with this part of the plot. Once again, I am sorry for making you wait so long, I’ll try not to disappoint you in the future. Before I go, I just wanted to say that it has been a while since I revised the past chapters so I'll try to do some of it these days, that's why next chapter may take a little more time. Thank you so much for reading and your support! See you! <3
> 
> ///SPOILER///  
> One character apart from Soobin, Yeonjun and the wolf already knows about the curse. Who is it?


	28. Searching for Answers

Before he was stuck in Soobin’s body, Yeonjun wouldn’t have thought that food could be so good. Sure, he had professional chefs back at home who cooked any dish he asked them to perfection but somehow this food he is eating is much better. There must be a special ingredient or sauce in this; he can’t get over how good it is. If he had this breakfast back at the camp on the day he devoured all the food along with Soobin he wouldn’t feel remorse at all, it was this good. Yesterday he lied to himself constantly that is wasn’t that good but for god’s sake, it really is that good.

“Look at my bunny, at this rate he will grow a meter longer” Soobin’s grandma said as she smiled to him

“He may grow a meter longer but I will starve to death if he doesn’t stop!” Soobin’s mom said as she tried to take the plate with eggs from Yeonjun’s hands

“Isn’t that beneficial for both of you?” Soobin’s grandpa said. The table turns completely silent “I mean ... you could lose some weight” He said as he wished to take back what he said

“Do you think I look fat dad!?” Soobin’s mom screeched as she covered her stomach with both hands. Meanwhile Yeonjun took the chance and served himself more of those godly eggs

“No, no my daughter but you said you wanted to lose weight” The old man said as sweat accumulated in his forehead

“You are just perfect dear” Soobin’s dad said as he kissed his wife’s cheek

“Yeah mom, you look amazing. Lee Eun-Kyung would be jealous of you” Yeonjun added jokingly, maybe he shouldn’t have said that

“You ...” Soobin’s mom said as she glared at him with hate. He has grown familiar to those eyes even if just a day has passed “How dare you compare her to such lowlife like me! And who is she to you? A friend? You will address her as Miss Lee Eun-Kyung you manner-less rascal!” She gave him a smack on the head as she said this, well maybe two ... or three

“Sorry mom” Yeonjun said as he bowed his head. Why are manners so hard to learn?

He returned to Soobin’s room with three new bumps in his head. It was all worth it after all, since Soobin’s grandma gave him more food to relieve the pain. Now he just had to wait for Soobin’s text, any moment now he will finish eating with his mom. It’s funny to him that they both have eaten more with each other’s families than them themselves. He may have chuckled a bit but it was cut short since he heard his phone ring, he answered the call.

“Yeonjun here” Yeonjun said

“Yeonjun? Is Soobin there?” Yeonjun’s heart stopped for a moment, he even forgot to pay attention to who was calling “I’m kidding it’s me, Soobin” Soobin said as he laughed

“Soobin?” Yeonjun asked confused

“Yeah ... I guess you don’t really know how your voice sounds, you are dumb sometimes you know that?”

“Dumb?” Yeonjun said astonished

“See? I guess you forgot how to speak”

“Hey! Did you get up from the wrong side of the bed or something? Here I was thinking my bed was perfect” He heard Soobin laugh, even though he was in his body he can tell Soobin is the one laughing and not him

“You are funny. I wanted to ask ... do you want to do something today?”

“Like ... what?”

“You know like ... something together ... to figure out what’s happening to us”

“Seems fine, you can come over to my house”

“So ... are we talking about my house or your house? I’m already at yours”

“Oh right ... you stay right there, I’ll see what I can do to get out of here”

“Just say something about you mom and she will let you go. If she gets hasty promise her an autograph or something”

“I’ll do that if it comes to it, see you in a bit then”

“Sure I’ll be waiting”

“Bye”

* * *

Yeonjun’s mom was excited to see him in her home. He has been in her home more than she knows since he is in her son’s body but he can’t really understand why Yeonjun in his body bring so much happiness out of her.

“Mom, why are you so excited?” Soobin asked Yeonjun’s mom. Yeonjun was entering the house as they spoke. Yeonjun carried a bag with him, probably filled with his belongings for the night. Now that he sees himself from the outside, he understands the gravity of the situation of his clothes, they were really bad and torn down from washing them over and over again. Maybe he will invest all of his savings in getting new clothes, he feels so embarrassed that he looked like that without even knowing.

“Look at him, he is so pure and innocent. He is so cute” Yeonjun’s mom said with a high tone. Just like when people see a cute puppy walking around aimlessly on the streets. Maybe she pitied him, he understands, even now he pities himself.

“Didn’t you think his mom was crazy or something?” Soobin asked to reassure himself, maybe the answer won’t be as bad as he expects

“I told you already!” She murmurs loudly to his ear so that the approaching Yeonjun doesn’t hear “I was getting fond of them after a while, also, how could I say no to such boy, he is such a cute ball of fluff. He also knows manners very well; make sure to be around him more, he is such a good influence” Oh shit! He has to preserve his image in front of her otherwise she will think badly of him! 

“Yeon- Soobin!” Soobin screamed as he corrected the name that tried to come out of his mouth out of instinct. Yeonjun was about to walk in front of the maids without bowing or showing any respect to them “I’m happy you are here” Soobin said as he took a step backwards so Yeonjun’s mom couldn’t see him. Now that he gets Yeonjun’s attention, he bows his head repeatedly so that his friend gets the message. At first Yeonjun rolled his eyes but after threatening him with his eyes he finally does it.

“See! He is so cute!” Yeonjun’s mom says

“Hi …” Yeonjun says to his mom first while he looks completely confused as if he doesn’t know how to call her if not by ’mom’ “Miss, Lee Eun-Kyung, nice to meet you again” He finally says. Soobin can finally breathe after Yeonjun succeeded to address his own mom as he was thought. Maybe he was getting some lessons back at home, painful lessons to say the least. He knows very well how much his mom’s smacks hurt.

“Why so formal? Call me Eun-Kyung” She said as she covered her mouth in vanity

“I- I’ll try to do so” He sees how Yeonjun struggles to talk to someone formally but he appreciates his effort, he is doing just fine

“Are you hungry? I can bring over whatever you like”

“Don’t worry, I … appreciate the offer. I ate before coming here” Yeonjun can’t hide the troubled expression in his face as he searches for formal words and ways to not disrespect her, it’s laughable but admirable. It makes Soobin chuckle a bit out of cuteness.

“Oh so cute!” She shrieks lowly

“We will be in my room mom, if you need anything just call for us” Soobin says as he takes the bag from Yeonjun’s shoulder and walks them both to the room

“Alright honey! Have fun!” She says as they disappear from the room “Nice to meet you again Soobin!” At this, Soobin pinches Yeonjun’s side so that he bows once again. As he does it, he can see the irritated look in his face

They speed walked to Yeonjun’s room to avoid catching the attention of anyone else in the house since he doesn’t want to teach Yeonjun’s manner right now.

“How can you do all of this? It’s so exhausting bowing, addressing people, formal talking, it’s just so much!” Yeonjun says as he throws himself into the bed “Oh! How much I’ve missed you! My bed!”

“Years of practice. After a while you just do it naturally, even feel remorse if you don’t” Soobin explains as he sits in the corner of the bed

“Ugh! When is this going to end!?” Yeonjun grunts as he throws a pillow over his head

“Damn, my family must be going rough on you. Now that I look at you, I feel remorse for my own body. How did you manage to put those eye-bags in my face? It’s been a while since I have had those”

“You live like in a military camp! You don’t have to enter the military to live the experience, just living your life for a couple of days gives you a detailed description of it” Soobin chuckles a bit

“My grandfather was raised with very strict morals and mannerisms; he made sure to pass it down to us. I’m just glad you have been lucky so far”

“Lucky?” Yeonjun retorts back

“I mean, you have only washed the dishes right?”

“Is there more to do!?” Yeonjun says as if he is feeling his future pain

“Let’s just hope we can figure this out before any of that happens”

“We better, I can’t take it anymore” Yeonjun coldly says. Maybe he didn’t mean it that way, like many other things he had said in the past with that same cold tone. But Soobin can’t help but feel saddened of the fact that someone is irritated of living his life. To be honest is not so much about his life but of the fact that Yeonjun can’t no longer stand his family, it hurt knowing that someone felt that way of those he loved.

“Damn … sorry for that” Soobin murmurs as low as he can, but not low enough so that Yeonjun doesn’t hear him

“What?” Yeonjun says as he takes the pillow away from his face “Did you say something?”

“Don’t worry, nothing important” Soobin says as he puts a fake smile over his real pain expression

“Ok …” Yeonjun says as he looks at him suspiciously

“Is there something you want to do? It’s your house so I don’t really know much of it”

“Oh! I know!” Yeonjun says excitedly “Come! I bet you haven’t met him”

“Him?” Soobin asked, Yeonjun grins back at him

* * *

“Ken! Buddy!” He screams as he and Soobin run through the immense patio. It has been a while since he hasn’t seen his dog. Even if it was just a couple of days, he misses him. After coming back from the camp he expected to play with him every day but since this happened to him, he hasn’t had the chance

“Ken? I think I’ve heard that name before …” Soobin said but Yeonjun didn’t really pay attention to it

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a big golden fluff approaching him at full speed. He turns his head and sees Ken meters away from him with that same expression he has grown fond of. Just as always, Ken tackles him and licks all of his face as if he was greeting him after a long trip.

“Hey, he knows it’s you!” Soobin says surprised “He hasn’t even noticed that I’m here. Even if I’m you”

“Of course he does! That’s my Ken!” Yeonjun says as he hugs the hyperactive dog with his arms

After a while, Ken leaves his original owner and starts sniffing Soobin from all angles as if he was a stranger and then settles in sniffing the mark in his wrist. The mark swiftly transforms into an inky version of ken and imitates all of his movements. Ken barked playfully at it and constantly made the playful poses as if he really wanted to play with the little dog.

“Ken you are so cute” Soobin said as he laughed at the interactions the dogs were having

“I guess he really knows who is who … when I returned from the hospital he couldn’t stop smelling me as if I had a cat hiding in my clothes. Maybe I carried the mark somewhere within my body back then and I didn’t know” Yeonjun said as he looks within his memory

“Then we came back home with the mark or whatever this is” Soobin said as he looks at the little dog in his skin “I’m sure one of us would have seen it even if it wasn’t on our wrist. Maybe … there is something else”

“Like another mark or something? Two?” Yeonjun asks with his eyes wide open

“I don’t know … something tells me the marks became visible that day we both saw them on our wrists”

“Why do you think so?”

“You might think I’m insane …”

“No, no … nothing else is more insane than what is happening to us” He reassured Soobin

“I’ve been having weird dreams … telling me about marks and things like these”

“Is there …” Yeonjun tried to say but quickly stopped himself midway

“What?” Soobin asked him and looked directly into his eyes “A wolf?”

“How … did you know?”

“There is always a wolf in my dreams lately” Soobin said as he petted the now calmed down dog by his side

“What does he say to you?”

“He has said many things, weird things. I don’t understand them fully”

“But like what?” He asked now curious of the situation

“The first dream I had he told me you would kill me …” Soobin did a pause at this “In the dream you did kill me, you threw me off the cliff” He laughed a bit at this

“I didn’t kill you” He said strongly, as if that was an insult

“Of course you didn’t, it was only a dream”

“No Soobin!” He said as he stood up “I didn’t kill you! It wasn’t me!”

“I understand, calm down a bit” Soobin said as he grabbed his shoulders to calm him down

“It wasn’t me … it was, but it wasn’t!”

“Ok, ok, explain then”

“I was looking at the river from the shadows of the forest across the river and I saw you with a wolf, it was much smaller than what I have seen him recently. You two were talking of something but then another me came out from the woods from your side and started tackling you and pushing you off the cliff. I tried to move but I couldn’t. Then you were thrown of the cliff and I was … mauled alive by some wolves behind me” He explained

“Then … we were in the same dream?” Soobin asked

He leaves Soobin with his thoughts for some time. He can’t help but feel that he should tell the whole story but how could he? He can’t tell him all of it. He can’t tell him how he saw him with Misoo in a meadow completely in love. He can’t tell him how Misoo intervened so that he wouldn’t talk to Soobin. How Misoo told him to move on and leave Soobin behind as if he was a disposable thing and that if he didn’t, Soobin was going to die. How he refused to forget about him. How after he wouldn’t change his mind and go against Misoo’s wishes he instantly heard a woman scream at the distance. How he left Misoo to look for that woman screaming in pain. How after following the noises he encountered that version of himself that killed Soobin, swearing for his life that he would kill him. How he ignored that version of himself and ran to look for that woman, but only found his sister dead on the ground with many lethal wounds. 

He just couldn’t, but at least he told him what came after finding the body of his beloved sister, right? That would be enough

* * *

After meeting Ken briefly, He and Yeonjun returned back upstairs where none would look for them. He managed to talk with Yeonjun about the many other dreams he had that included the wolf or something related to him. He also got Yeonjun’s version of his dreams but he can’t help but feel that he isn’t telling him all of it. He chooses not to confront him about it, maybe another day he will open up. He also tells Yeonjun how these things happening to them aren’t just dreams since one of these nights the wolf contacted him through the mark, making this whole situation even more real.

“So … the only thing we know so far is that the wolf won’t personally kill us, knows about our marks and that he wants me to meet him somewhere so that he can kill me now that I’m marked?” Yeonjun asked trying to make sense out of all of this

“It sounds ridiculous but … apparently” Soobin says

“Oh and that someone has been lying to you” Yeonjun adds “Do you know who?”

“No … I haven’t thought about it that much”

“Does this mean that we are stuck like this? Forever?”

“He haven’t tried anything yet, let’s not lose hope” Soobin said as he sat on the floor of Yeonjun’s bed room

“What are you planning to do?” Yeonjun said as he sat down in front of him

“I don’t know let’s ask the marks tell us, maybe they know”

He brought his arm next to Yeonjun’s cautiously waiting for something to happen. Then both marks started to become alive just as many times before. Their marks formed a tiny ball that vibrated as if it was going to explode, the closer their arms were, the more fiercely they moved.

“Should we touch? Like that time at the mall?” Yeonjun asked

“Let’s do it” Soobin said with a shaky voice

As they intertwined hands, both balls crashed into each other and immediately exploded forming a vine that connected both of their hands and that quickly grew to their shoulders. After the vine stopped, it started blooming flowers. They both looked in shock as different type of flowers came out of the vine; there were some that he couldn’t recognize. They looked at each other in awe looking for something to say but nothing came out of their mouths just like the first time they saw each other’s marks.

“Aww, you both are so cute!” He heard someone say inside of the room they were. This made his inner alarm go off

“M- Mom! I- I can explain!” Soobin stuttered as he tried to speak, he was still in Yeonjun’s body so he had to be the one to talk. How exactly was he going to explain this? He had a vine that connected him with another person, and it was blooming flowers. 

“Don’t mind me, I’ll come back later” She chuckled

“M- Miss, you don’t see anything wrong?” Yeonjun asked curiously

“Of course not! There is nothing wrong with two people holding hands! I am not as closed-minded as you think honey. Though you shouldn’t do that in front of you father Yeonjunnie, he isn’t like me” Yeonjun’s mom said

“So … you don’t see anything?” Soobin asked looking for reassurance

“Not at all … sorry to interrupt. I was bringing some ice cream for you two; I’ll leave it in this table. Enjoy!” He hadn’t even noticed the bowls of ice cream she was carrying until she mentioned them.

She went out of the room and they both remained appalled of what happened, it took some time for them to come back to reality.

“Then, only we can see the marks?” He asked

“I have been covering it … for nothing?” Yeonjun said defeated

“Looks like it …” Soobin finally says “So … ice cream?”

* * *

“God dammit!” Yeonjun screamed

“Hey! What your mouth! Remember you are in my body in your own house! What will your mom think of me!?” Soobin argued back

“I don’t care! I just want this stupid vine to go away!” He screamed

They have spent almost an hour trying to figure out how to dissemble the vine that kept them together. The ice creams are now long forgotten, the only thing that remains in those cups are depressing soups of vanilla milk probably warmed to the temperature of the room. They tried to eat, them but as they found out they couldn’t separate from each other, they completely forgot about them. They had filled the tub to submerge their arms in in in hope of drowning the vine. They were filled with happiness when they saw the flowers deteriorate but then they became disheartened because instead of flowers, lily pads started to come out.

He was growing impatient, not even the calming soul of Soobin and his reassuring words could keep him in check. Now he had the inside of his hand wet and he couldn’t do anything about it.

“Maybe if we torch it down it will die” He suggested

“Yeonjun!” Soobin argued back

“What? It may work”

“Yeah maybe. Because there won’t be arms after you burn them to a crisp!”

“Let’s just try, just a little”

“No” Soobin strictly said “Why are you making such a fuss? We are holding hands so what? Not even your mom has a problem with it!”

“Oh so you want to hold my hand longer? Maybe that’s why the vine isn’t going away. Do you want to hold my hand Soobin?” Yeonjun said teasingly

“I don’t find anything wrong with it”

“…” So, did this mean … Soobin wanted to hold his hand? He felt his heart miss a beat

“What? Why are you blushing all of a sudden?” Soobin teased him back “Did I make your heart miss a beat Yeonjun?”

“I don’t find anything wrong with it” Then he really felt it, his heart missed a beat even if he was the one teasing him “What was that?” He asked confused

“This you feel it too?” Soobin asks and Yeonjun nods back “My doctor said I was having heart problems”

“Mine said so too”

“How many did you feel?”

“What?” He asks confused

“How many missed heart beats did you feel?” Soobin asks now focused

“T- Two” At this, Soobin quickly presses firmly over Yeonjun’s jugular “What are you doing?”

“Take my pulse with your other hand” Yeonjun does what Soobin tells him “Make a sound when you feel my pulse” So he does, he replicates the sound of Soobin’s as he feels it and looks at Soobin’s reaction to it. Then, Soobin removes his hand of his neck

“We … have the same heartbeat” Soobin finally says

“So different … yet the same” He mumbles. The wolf said those words to him back in his last dream

“You are two but one, a bond for eternity” Soobin mumbles too

“Soobin …” He says as low as possible now that he understands the gravity of the situation

“Yeah?” Soobin murmurs with his breath shaking

“What if … one of us … dies?”

“I think we both know what happens”

* * *

He tries to reassure Yeonjun that everything will be fine, that there is no reason why they would die so early in their life. He says that the cases of minors dying in recent years has decreased compared to past years when medicine wasn’t as good or any other thing that his mouth spilled out as an excuse. While in reality he too was reassuring himself that nothing like that will happen, he needs to tell himself that. They try to move on and make a normal conversation but they can’t do it since the news are so big. They can’t even walk away from each other since the vine is still wrapped around their arms making them stay together for the rest of the night. They don’t even try to break it; they are too tired to keep trying

They both give in on the exhaustion and sleep together in Yeonjun’s bed while holding hands through the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It feels like weeks have passed since I last updated. Sorry I couldn’t update sooner something personal came up and I didn’t even get to revise the past chapters :c I hope you liked this chapter, it isn’t the best but I hope you did. We finally know what happened in Yeonjun’s first dream and now we understand who was that lady in their dreams, if you didn’t get it, it’s Yeonjun’s sister, Selene. If you are wondering if I plan to drop this fic, I assure you that I definitely won’t, even if it takes me moths or even years to finish it but I definitely won’t drop it. I am also planning to open a twitter account so that we can interact with each other. It will probably flop very hard but hey who knows, if you are down to it maybe comment and I will read it for sure. Thank you so much for reading and for your support! See you! <3
> 
> ///SPOILER///  
> We certainly know that Yeonjun’s mom knows for sure of the curse that is in her family from the conversation she had with her sister on the first chapter, but why couldn’t she see the marks then? Or is she faking it all?
> 
> Also, I just wanted to clarify that I don’t plan to give the answers for the spoilers the next chapter I post them. It was just an exception this time with Ken. This doesn’t mean that only Ken knows. He is one of the character that knows of the curse or maybe he is the only one, I’ll let you decide. Most of the spoilers are related to future chapters, so don’t expect them to be resolved so quickly. They are meant for you to think and analyze the story so hey … maybe you get to decipher one who knows!


	29. Stray Bullet

“Kids, wake up!” Yeonjun’s mom said as she shook both of the unmoving bodies “You are so cute! You even pout when you sleep. You two will melt me to my core!”

“Mom?” Yeonjun grunted with many other words she couldn’t understand

“Yeonjunnie it’s time to wake up” She cooed

“Give me fifteen minutes, I’ll be up then”

“Miss Eun-Kyung?” Soobin said as he tried to open his eyes

“Good morning to you Soobin. Breakfast is ready, just go down and enjoy!” Yeonjun’s mom said with ecstasy as she tried to hold back the screams because of how cute her son and this boy holding his hand are “Make sure to hold onto my son, it’s been a while since I’ve seen him so close with somebody”

“I- … What?” Soobin said since he didn’t understand anything that was going on

Miss Eun-Kyung stood up from the bed and winked at Soobin before she left the room. As she disappeared from his view, he saw her murmur the words ’thank you’ to him. Why would she be thankful to him?

Soobin then turns back to the position he had and purrs with happiness because of the soft covers and pillows of Yeonjun’s bed. There is no denying it, his bed was trash compared to this one. Before he closes his eyes once again, he stops and looks at the face just a couple of centimeters away. He simply can’t believe that this person in front of him is the infamous Choi Yeonjun everyone talks about. He can’t really see why people thought that way of him. The only reason he believed them at first was because of his monotone mood back in the first night at the camp trip. It wasn’t a convincing one since he decided to sleep instead of greeting him as everybody else, he has had those days too so there is really no reason to hold that stereotype against him. Yeonjun has been a good friend to him, they haven’t even fought or seriously clashed because of their opinions, it just wasn’t what everyone else thought of him. Sure, he isn’t as energetic or positive as Kai or Seojun but to be honest who is?

Yeonjun … the boy he met just a couple of weeks ago who has managed to go through so much with him in just a span of days. Not only did they have life or death situations like the wolf chase and the fall from the cliff but they also had positive memories. He won’t be able to forget that day they both devoured that buffet, or when they won the relay race, and definitely he won’t remember that night they both looked at the stars over the river; let’s just ignore what came after that.

Soobin wants to have the pride of knowing the true Choi Yeonjun. He knows many things of him but just as with any other person, there is more than just the tip of the iceberg. Even he has things he wants to hide from others.

He looks away as he notices a little snail crawling over from his wrist up his arm, it moved so slow it was almost therapeutic to look at it. Wait … if there is a snail here then … what happened to the vine? He sits up straight in panic as he looks to his whole arm; there is no vine in it. But most importantly, he notices he is still holding on to Yeonjun’s hand. Soobin flushes in an instant and tries to detangle his hand from his, but to no avail, he can’t take his hand away. Maybe Yeonjun’s mark moved to his body while they were asleep so that’s why he can’t free himself. Soobin scans himself from head to toe looking for the other mark but in the process he annoys Yeonjun.

“Stop moving, I said fifteen minutes” Yeonjun mumbles with a cute angry face with his eyes still closed

“Yeonjun …” Soobin whispers but then he sees a little tree spurting from Yeonjun’s neck. So … if Yeonjun has his mark and Soobin has his, then what is stopping him from freeing his hand?

“Fifteen minutes more …” Yeonjun mumbles as he tightens up the hold of Soobin’s hand

* * *

“Yeonjun, wake up” He hears someone say

“I said fifteen minutes more” He murmurs back

“It has been an hour since that, it’s almost eleven” He hears Soobin’s voice say. But last night he was Soobin …

“Soobin?” Yeonjun jerks up from his bed looking in the direction the voice came from. His eyes may be pulling tricks on him but he can swear he is looking at Soobin instaed of himself

“You finally woke up” Soobin chuckles

“Was it … all a dream?”

“A dream? What dream?”

“You … me …” He tried to say

“Oh that yeah, there is no vine see” Soobin says as he brings up their intertwined hands up

“B- But”

“Yeah I know, you wouldn’t let my hand free” Soobin dismisses his ideas as if he knew what he tried to say but Soobin was incredibly wrong

“Soobin you-“ Yeonjun once again tried to make his point through but Soobin interrupts him

“Who would have thought you needed were so high maintenance, you are such a bab-“ Soobin says but then Yeonjun throws him off the bed, separating their hands as if it was nothing “What was that for!?” Soobin asks loudly

“Hey smartass if you haven’t noticed I am me and you are you!” Yeonjun finally said

“Huh?” The tall boy says as if he didn’t have a brain, than after a couple of seconds of staring to each other he gasps

“And here I was thinking you were the smart one”

“Wait you are right!” Soobin said as he sprinted to see himself in a mirror “We are back”

“No shit Sherlock”

“How much time has passed?”

“We switched for … maybe three days? I don’t remember”

“Will we change back again in three days?” Soobin turns back to look at him

“I don’t know but at least the vine is gone right?”

“Do you think that’s why we changed again?”

“I don’t want to find out. We will probably be stuck to one another just as before if we touched ever again”

“But don’t you want to find out?”

“Not right now, I’m hungry”

“As long as we don’t eat the house down I guess that’s a plus”

* * *

After the luxurious and delicious breakfast they had, they made their way back to Yeonjun’s room as if it was out of costume. It has been a while since he has walked a different path to his room, maybe it has been years since he has been in some corridors of his own house. After more and more people left the home, it was useless to go to those empty rooms. If he saw them today it would be like meeting a stranger.

“Do you have something planned for today?” His mom says with excitement

“Nothing much mom, this and that” Yeonjun says

“You can go and hang out by the pool?” She offers

“Pool?” Soobin murmurs. He doesn’t understand why the idea of Yeonjun having a pool was that drastic. Haven’t you seen this house? It was time for him to remember where he was.

“Oh yeah, would you like to go to the indoors or outdoors? So exciting! I’ll prepare some snacks!”

“Mom …” Yeonjun tries to hold back his irritation “Soobin didn’t bring a swimming suit”

“I didn’t?” Soobin looks at him with a frown

“No, you didn’t” Yeonjun answers back with a mocking smile. Back at Soobin’s home, he made sure not to pack a swimming trunk for this exact reason

“Oh Yeonjun, always so humble. Don’t worry Soobin, I am sure Yeonjun can spare some for you” His mom says with a smirk on her face

“Mom!” He tries to retort back without disrespecting her. Damn, a couple of days in Soobin’s place has managed to make him a bit more controlled of his actions “those are my clothes …”

“Oh well then, I’ll be back in thirty. I’m going … shopping!”

“No please Miss Eun-Kyung, don’t worry about it” Soobin tries to stop her as she turns her back on them

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back” She says with so much charisma it seemed as if it was out of a drama itself, she goes out of the house in search of the perfect swimming trunks for Soobin

* * *

“Who would have thought this wasn’t such a bad idea” Yeonjun says teasingly “Are you hungry? Would you like a carrot?” Yeonjun laughs

“Ha … ha” Soobin says uninterested. In his defense, this is the best swimming trunk he has worn in his life. It feels so good, comfortable, just the best; he even feels like a pro surfer. “You know … I actually like it a lot”

“You do?” Yeonjun says with a concerned frown in his face

“Yeah … it is cute”

How could it not be cute? The swimming trunk had a plain white background with multiple colorful bunnies across the trunks. Some were eating, other jumping, other laughing; they had so many cute expressions they bring happiness out of him.

“Even your mark likes it” Yeonjun rolls his eyes

“Hi bunny, you like your friends?” Soobin says as the little bunny in his shoulder brings out a floaty and hangs out with them on the water

“You know … you can get close to me” Yeonjun says without thinking his words

“What?”

“I mean, you are at the shallowest part of of the pool not even a kid would drown there” Yeonjun says with a little blush but then exchanges for a hurt expression that doesn’t goes unnoticed “I … didn’t know I made you so uncomfortable”

“It nothing like that …” Soobin says lowly “To be honest … not many people know but … I don’t know how to swim”

“You don’t!?” Yeonjun says maybe a bit too loud. Soobin shakes his head in return

“I know the basics, I can swim but it only happens as I sink to the bottom” Soobin chuckles “I’m like a bag of potatoes”

“Have you … had classes or something?”

“My father has thought me every type of swimming style but I always sink”

“But … you did activities by the lake. Why would you? Something may have happened”

“Well I have to overcome my fears some way. I didn’t want my uselessness to ruin my fun … also because Kai forced me”

“I never thought you feared water … back then when you rode that jet ski I thought you had done it before”

“It was my first time; I also lost control at some point but whatever” Yeonjun laughs at his little remark. He is glad he can see him laugh like this, this is Yeonjun, the real Yeonjun “But I don’t fear water” Soobin finally says

“What?” Yeonjun asks since he didn’t hear it the first time

“I am not afraid of the water … I am afraid of drowning”

* * *

A couple of days have passed and not many things have happened with his life. Beomgyu is probably living his best life at the VIP section of his own private jet. It may not seem possible for a private jet to have a VIP zone, but believe him, when it comes to Beomgyu everything is possible. After Soobin left his home days ago, they haven’t have much contact since then. It’s not because something happened to their friendship but because Soobin had to buy the utensils he would use for tomorrow. Oh yeah … tomorrow aka Monday (the worst day of the week) it’s their first day of class. This was inevitable, he knew they would start their senior year soon but time went by really fast these vacations. He almost wants to go back time to experience those same things back then but he would change something if he could. He would approach Soobin first and hang out with him on the instances they weren’t together. He realizes he could have had appreciated those time better if he knew better but there is no going back. It doesn’t bring him down thinking of ’what it could’ve been’ since it happened but his selfish being always wants more.

A couple of weeks ago he wished for time to go faster, now he wishes he didn’t.

* * *

“Hey Yeonjun” Soobin texts his friend

“Yeah?” He gets a reply seconds after

“Wow so fast!”

“What is it?” Soobin can already tell the face he is doing right now just by the way he texts

“I just followed you on social media … follow me back!”

“What? Really? Such a nuisance”

“I just want to be part of the cool people”

“Cool people?”

“Yeah you know, you only follow three people. Let me be the fourth! >:)”

“Is that all you wanted?”

“I don’t know … did you want more?” He teased Yeonjun

“I wanted nothing from the beginning”

“Yeah, yeah, sure”

“Let’s make a deal”

“Hmm?”

“Create a new account and I’ll follow you”

“Why do so much? You just have to follow me”

“I guess I won’t then”

“Ugh”

“Then …”

“Fine whatever”

“Oh and you can only follow as many people as I do, if not I’ll stop following you”

“Ok no, I didn’t want it so bad. I guess I will stop following you then … Goodnight Yeonjun”

* * *

I just wanted to be … maybe one day

* * *

“Bunny …” An old lady said as she came into his room

“Hi grandma, what are you doing up so late?” He asked “You shouldn’t be going up the stairs this late at night”

“My bunny always so caring” She said as she caressed his cheeks with love

“Do you need help with something grandma?”

“I just wanted to come see you before you went to bed. Tomorrow will be a big day”

“Yes it will” Soobin said as he sighed. Not so much of boredom but because of how tired he was. These past days he has been going around downtown looking for the best discounts on his books and other materials he will need this year

“Bunny … I just wanted to tell you how special you are” His grandmother had her eyes looking straight into his with so much love it almost made him cry in an instant

“Why are you telling me this right now? You don’t need to” Soobin said with a little shaky voice

“My bunny, I love you so much, you have turned into such a beautiful person. I don’t want anyone to change that; you will be going to a very different world from the one we are living this moment. Make sure to remember who you are, no matter the obstacles, the people around you, the money, anything, make sure to come back as Soobin and not as somebody else” Soobin couldn’t hold his tears to this speech, even if it wasn’t as emotional or sentimental as many others he has had in his life, it just meant so much for him

“Grandma …” He murmurs

“Some people may not accept you because of who you are but remember, always make sure to remember … you can come back home and it will be fine. Home is where the people that love you are; don’t choose anything different in return. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter, even if you someday decide to choose something else, I’ll be waiting here with my arms open for you”

“I won’t …” Soobin can’t stop crying

“Shh, shh, this wasn’t supposed to make you cry bunny”

“How could I not when you say these things to me?”

“My bunny …” She said as she hugged Soobin

* * *

That night before he went to sleep his mark awakened. This time it was something different, he had never seen something like this before. There was an old lady and a little kid in front of each other. Then the old lady crouched and hugged the little kid. Out of the tears of the little boy sentences started to appear, he could read the conversation they were having. By the second text that appeared, he understood what was happening; Soobin was talking to his grandmother. Yeonjun kept reading the words as if it was poetry, analyzing and internalizing each one of them. It didn’t take long for him to also spill some tears of his own. He may have seen what true love is many years ago but now there is no memory of it, no matter how hard he tries; there is not such memory of his family that expressed so much feeling. As the conversation ends and his mark goes to sleep once again, he remembers what love is, but as he remembers, he realizes something else. That love he just witnessed it’s not for him.

Why? Why can’t those words be for me? Why does no body love me that much? Did I do something wrong? Why does he has everything while I have nothing? Why do I hate him so much for it? Why can’t I hate him as much as I hate everyone else? Why can’t I hate him at all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry I took a while to update I've been through some rough days and even though this is a small chapter, I hope you liked it. This time there is no spoiler, sorry for those who read them, maybe next chapter. Now that we are getting into the school life, I wanted to clarify that all of them are in senior year so the order from oldest to yougest is Taehyun - Beomgyu - Kai - Yeonjun - Soobin. Thank you so much for the 2k hits! I can't believe this is even happening! Once again thank you for your support and for reading! See you! <3


	30. A New Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I recently created a Twitter account so we can interact with each other, my username is @kenthedoggo so make sure to follow me! Let's be friends! <3

“Master Yeonjun, it’s time to wake up. Your first day of school is today”

“What?” He mumbled as he tried to wake up

“I’m glad you are waking up, you have to get ready for school. Today is a big day!” The woman said with a faked excited expression, like she was forced to say those words to him

“Today?” Soobin panicked in his mind as he looked around the room he was in. This wasn’t his room, but Yeonjun’s.

“Breakfast will be served to your bed briefly, you can shower in the meantime” The maid continued to say as she exited the room “Oh! I almost forgot, your mom isn’t home right now; she had to attend some issues at the company. She said she will be home by dinner. If there is nothing I can help you with may I excuse myself?”

“S- Sure, thank you” Soobin stuttered

Right after the maid exited the room, Soobin vigorously started to look for Yeonjun’s phone. All of these days that have passed he has feared of this exact situation. He had to attend school in Yeonjun’s body. This wasn’t the most terrifying thing of all since he had realized that if these occurrences were to happen again he would in some other way have to go to school in Yeonjun’s body, but he didn’t want his first day to be like this. He will be feeling lost from the beginning, now he has to look for his uniform, his books, materials, everything. The night before he had arranged his backpack perfectly so he didn’t have to worry about this, but now he has to look for Yeonjun’s belongings.

He threw the covers of the bed in look of that phone, if he has learned something about Yeonjun this past couple of days is that he sleeps with his phone. He realized this when they had that sleep over and Yeonjun’s phone was in the bed while his was in the nightstand. After scrambling under the pillows and another cover, he finally found the phone. He unlocked it and quickly dialed his number. He waited with anticipation but no one was picking up the call. The call rang until the ninth ’beep’ and then before he hang up someone answered.

“Yes? Who is this?” It was his mom. He can’t understand why she is so composed, if she saw who was calling she would have screamed but whatever

“Hi Miss Soojin, is Soobin there? It’s me Choi Yeonjun”

“Oh! Yeonjun what a nice surprise” Soobin could totally hear the fake tone in her voice. One day he will scold his own mom for this “Soobin is taking a shower right now. Can I help you with something?”

“Oh no then, just tell him to call me when he can, thank you”

“Anything for you kid! Tell your mom I said hi and that we should meet up someday”

“Of course Miss Soojin, I’ll make sure to tell her” How about no, he for sure won’t do this. Sorry mom but you already have enough autographs and you have embarrassed me enough

“Bye then kid, enjoy your first day of school!”

“Thank you once again, goodbye”

Everything was crumbling down and he was losing time so without missing another second, he jumped out of bed and started to get ready. This time he didn’t even think of whose body this was, in his mind he just had to get out of this house as soon as possible and look for Yeonjun at school. Hopefully he will call him before they meet up, that will calm him a little. After taking one of his mastered lightning showers in that expensive and luxurious bathroom he looked for Yeonjun’s uniform in his closet. He looked and looked for it but couldn’t find it, he hated to admit it but he needed help. So he scooted to the door and opened it slightly so he could call for someone. He made sure to open it slightly since he only had a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Umm, is somebody there?” Soobin said loudly but with an evident shy tone

“Master Yeonjun?” He heard another woman say at the distance, her voice echoed through the halls of the big mansion “Do you need assistance with something?”

“Yeah, kind off … Do you know where is my uniform?”

“It’s right at the top of your closet, in the upper cabinet”

“Thank you so much!” Soobin said as he closed the door and bowed to the person even if he couldn’t see her

Soobin once again ran to the closet and looked at the upper cabinets. He hadn’t noticed them before; he thought those were just decorations. There were five cabinets at the top so he looked through each one of them in look of the uniform. The first three just had clothes in them; they have probably been there for a while since they have dust over them. He opened the fourth one and saw little toys, pictures, baby clothes, and many more memories from Yeonjun’s childhood. He felt like this want his place so before he became curious he closed it shut. At last, he found the uniform in the fifth cabinet.

Soobin got ready and tried to imitate Yeonjun’s hairstyle and appearance as good as he could, after all, he was Yeonjun for today … or well who knows for how long. As he finished putting the uniform, he looked at himself in the mirror. He had to admit Yeonjun looked good wearing the uniform. It consisted of a burgundy blazer with white braiding, under it was a white formal shirt and a black tie, and the pants and shoes of the uniform were black. He looked at himself for a while but then decided to change his style a little. He was wearing the uniform as he would but not as Yeonjun would so he tried to mess it up a little to give more Yeonjun vibes. Even though he hasn’t seen him in uniform, he knows how he dresses and his particular style because they have been together almost every day for the past month.

As he finished, someone knocked at the door and he told them to come in. The maid entered holding a tray with his breakfast and put it beside the bed. As she walked around him, he couldn’t help but notice the stares the maid was giving him behind his back. She didn’t know but he followed her stares with her reflection in the mirror. He felt insecure of his appearance so after debating with himself he finally built up the courage to ask the maid what she was thinking.

“Excuse me, is there something wrong?” He said shyly once again, in his mind he said it with full confidence

“Pardon me master, I didn’t mean to stare it’s just that … I didn’t expect you to be ready already. By this time you would still be taking a shower” Soobin chuckled a little with her confession, he thought there was something wrong with me

“Oh, don’t worry; I’m just anxious that’s all. Do I look ok? Or is it too much?” Soobin said as he pointed at his clothes and hair, he just wanted to make sure

“You look the same as always master, and that is good if I may say”

“Thank you”

“I’ll be going now, enjoy your meal” She said as she bowed and went out the door

“Wait!” He said a bit too loud “I can’t remember your name properly, what was it?”

“Jang Yunseo, but you can still address me as Tortoise if you’d like”

“Thank you … you can leave now. Thank you again!” Soobin said as she closed the door

* * *

“Did he hit his head? Why is he speaking so mannerly and formal out of a sudden? He also wants to know my name? Since when did he care about my name? He didn’t care when I fed his precious tortoise and Ken. Such a weird kid, I will keep him in my prayers” Tortoise thought to herself as she returned to her normal schedule

* * *

“Remember what we talked about yesterday bunny, just be yourself” Soobin’s grandmother said to him as she cupped his face with her hands

“Sure grandma … I will” Yeonjun said with a tired expression.

He felt really tired emotionally, since the sun went up and Soobin’s mother barged into his room so he could wake up he has been thrown glimpses of everyday life he has missed because of how indifferent and cold his family is. Even though he first got scared of the attitude of Soobin’s mom, he started to grow fond of it; he missed the warmth of a mother in the early morning. He missed eating with a full table, having grandparents around since his passed when he was very young, he misses almost everything that’s in this house even if he has been in here a couple of times. There were still things he had to change of himself to become a better person and a better Soobin impersonator but he was doing his best, it was just his gloomy self that prevented it from happening.

“Is there something wrong bunny? You don’t look so good” The old woman said with a concerned frown. He dreaded making her feel like this since she was just trying to help him and also for the fact that she is Soobin’s grandmother. It feels that he always messes up for him while Soobin is giving his best to make him look good in front of everyone in the house. He can’t lie, when he returned to his body he saw how everyone treated him differently and the faces they made when they realized he was acting different from his other persona. Soobin was better at addressing people and being friendly with them, it must have been a shock to them when he returned to his normal self. He will try better, he will be better.

“I’m just tired, I didn’t sleep well last night” Yeonjun lies

“You must be anxious to go to school, you worked for it, you deserve it bunny”

“Thank you grandma”

Yeonjun almost feels worse after the conversation he had with the old woman. If Soobin deserved to be there because he worked hard then … did it mean he didn’t deserve to study there because of how easy he has had it his whole life? He decides not to think about it too much.

“Are you ready son?” Soobin’s father says with a big smile to him as he pats his back. The man was a little smaller than him, very close to Yeonjun’s actual height. He can’t understand how Soobin became the tallest of the family; he must’ve ate a lot.

“Let’s go” He says with a fake smile

Yeonjun sits in the old car and remains silent for most of the ride. He keeps his eyes on the window and starts to study the buildings and shops on the way to school. When he went to Beomgyu’s or his house he doesn’t look at the windows since the scenery is always the same but now he has something to look at, something new. Now he wonders if Beomgyu will attend school today. Last thing he knew of him he was on his way back but it wouldn’t surprise him if he misses the first day. It wouldn’t matter if he came or not since he won’t be able to talk to him, as he wants since he isn’t in his body.

“Son did I tell you that you look very handsome in that uniform” Soobin’s mom says as she turns around from the copilot seat. She has that vibe Soobin gives when he is truly happy, he can tell she really is his mom

“Thank you mom, you look good today too” Yeonjun says back. He has spent his days practicing how to compliment people around him. He was used to getting compliments but he never said one back to the person so this was new to him too.

“Thank you kid, make sure to tell Kai that he is handsome as well”

“I will” Oh right, he will need to spend his day with Soobin’s friends. Last time he saw them they seemed like good people but it will be awkward since he really doesn’t know them. He can remember about Seojun and Taehyun since he has met them before but he will need to know them all at some point for Soobin’s sake.

“Soobin, I am so proud to be you mother. I know you will work hard this year to get a good score for university but remember that we don’t ask anything from you ok? Don’t exhaust yourself, you have already done enough” Soobin’s mom grabbed his hand and caressed it as she spoke to him

“Thank you mom, I’ll keep it in mind”

“Oh right I forgot! Yeonjun called and I answered for you since you were taking a shower. Make sure to call him back, he seemed a little nervous. He must be excited for today I guess”

“I am sure he is. I’ll call him when we arrive” He knew Soobin called him this morning, he listened the last bit of conversation. He just didn’t want to talk right now; he wasn’t feeling too well to talk to him

“We are here” Soobin’s dad said as he crossed the gates of the school. There was still some time left since the road that lead to the main building was a bit far “I know we promised to not be ashamed of the car or even of us but be honest if someone makes fun of you because of this. We will figure something out ok?”

“What do you mean?” He asked confused

“If we stain your image because of our status just tell us, ok Soobin? I know you told us you wouldn’t feel ashamed but I talked to Kai’s mom and she told me that you can ride with them if you want”

“Mom …”

“I know Soobin, but as your parents we will do what’s best for you even if it doesn’t benefit us, so please be honest with us, ok?” This must be what Soobin told him that day at the campsite. There isn’t a limit of how much his parents would do for him, he even feels guilty of receiving so much love and help. He can understand why Soobin wants to stop this gratitude once and for all, there is a limit of how much you should accept from others, Soobin was right

“I promise you, I won’t feel ashamed of you … ever” This is something Soobin would say but he must admit that he too made that promise. He will never feel ashamed because of them.

“Enough with the emotional talk, this is a great day for you son” Soobin’s father said as he whipped a tear of his eye

“Don’t cry, I will be fine dad”

“Sorry for that” He said as he stopped the car in front of the building and composed himself

“Now go and enjoy your day! We will see you off” Soobin’s mom said with a big smile

“I’ll be going then … thank you for bringing me”

“Bye! Have fun!” Soobin’s parents said as he walked into the building

* * *

Soobin arrived much earlier than expected and since then he has walked through the halls looking around and studying the classrooms he walked by. On his past school, he remained on his classroom and the professors were the ones that switched between classes but here the students were the ones that switched. He wouldn’t feel as lost if he was with his friends but now that he is Yeonjun, he can’t approach them as easily. He doesn’t even know if he has the same schedule as them since each class had different schedules but the same students in it.

After minutes of wondering through the huge building, he stumbled with the administration office. Maybe he can get a map or something that could help him there so he went ahead and approached the first person he saw.

“Hi, how may I help you?” A woman at the front desk said

“I am new here and I don’t know where everything is … Is there a map or something to guide me?”

“Sure, let me see if I have one here … There you go! You can find all of the classes and fields of the school on this map. Make sure to look at the other buildings since you may have classes there too”

“Other buildings?” He really didn’t know how big this school was, on the internet there were barely enough images to describe how big it was

“Yes, you will get a hang of it quickly don’t worry. Do you also have your schedule and the list of your classmates?”

“I don’t …”

“Can you please give me your name?”

“Choi S-“ He almost said “It’s Choi Yeonjun”

“Thank you, give me a second and I will print them for you” The lady stood up and walked to the printer were she grabbed some papers and gave them to him “Here, if you need help with anything else you can look for me”

“Thank you so much” Soobin said as he bowed to her and went to explore more of the school

* * *

“Was that … Choi Yeonjun asking for help?”

“Is there something wrong? He seemed really lost, I just gave him the basics so he can get to know the school, it’s really big after all”

“He has been here since forever. He wouldn’t need help at all by now”

“Really? I didn’t know …”

“You are new that’s why you don’t know about him. It’s good that you gave a good impression to him, that may save your neck one day”

“Sure …”

* * *

His phone started ringing once again and he knew who was trying to call him. He might have ignored the first call but it wouldn’t be nice to keep ignoring Soobin’s calls, he may be having a rough time since he doesn’t know the location of anything. So he picked up the call.

“Hello?”

“Hey Yeonjun! Where are you?” Soobin sounded happier than he expected

“You sound very happy today … I thought you would be collapsing or something”

“I was but imagine what happened”

“I don’t know”

“Try to guess, don’t be so boring”

“You met with Taehyun?”

“No …”

“Then?”

“I just saw the list of classmates and I am with you!”

“Are you happy because of that?” Yeonjun bluffed since he was also feeling happy that they both had the same schedule

“Yes, don’t tell me you aren’t”

“Could be worse” They both chuckled

“Where are you? Let’s meet up before class starts”

“I am sitting by the entrance of the main building”

“Oh, I was there a while ago. Be right there”

Before he knew it, Soobin had already ended the call.

Yeonjun laid on the bench as if it was a bed and stared at the ceiling as he waited for Soobin. From his peripheral vision, he saw how people looked at him as they walked past him. He is sorry to Soobin since he is making him look bad in front of others but his relaxation time is something he won’t give out for anyone. Just as expected the other students started murmuring and probably gossiping, this was a whole another situation so maybe he will give out his relaxation time for Soobin, ’just this once’ he thought.

As he sat straight, he felt another person sit beside him and nudge his shoulder.

“Found you” The person say. It was his voice but he knew it was Soobin, it confused him at times to assimilate his voice with Soobin’s energy

“Wasn’t hiding” He said back

“Excited? Because I am”

“So so, nothing new for me”

“I can see why my mark is depressed. Look my dinosaur is sulking just as you are” Soobin rolled up his blazer and showed him his right arm where a miniature T-rex was sulking and avoiding them “Are you ok?”

“Had a rough night that’s all” He can’t tell him his feelings, he never talks about his feelings. His mother and sister are the only ones he has been able to open up to but if he is really honest, he doesn’t know if he can be able to do so again. They are different people from what he remembered them to be. He doesn’t hold it against them since people grow and change and he still loves them even now, but now who would be there for him when he needs someone?

“I don’t want to pressure you but just know that you can talk to me if you need to” Soobin said. It made him laugh a bit, not because he threw away Soobin’s help but because those caring words sound very awkward with his voice “I’m serious, I am here for you”

“Thanks”

“Now stop sulking, make my T-rex happy!” Soobin demanded

“You know you are screaming this out loud, right? I thought you would help me maintain my image. I guess I was wrong” Yeonjun said mockingly

“Oh … sorry” Soobin said as he looked around and hid his face with both of his hands. Even now that he was looking at himself, he could see the Soobin in him

“Let’s go, class is about to begin”

* * *

“Ok class sit down so we can start” The professor said “As you already know this is your senior year, I hope we all do our best and achieve the goals you have for yourselves. I will be looking forward to this year and your accomplishments. Welcome once again!” Then the rest of the class applauded, some excited and other disinterested “I see that we have a new student in this class, please come up to the front and introduce yourself”

This was one of the moments he feared most, last night he was at the edge of panicking because of the introduction to his class but now it was another worry. Will Yeonjun do well presenting him? He decided to hide behind the person in front of his seat

“Hi everyone my name is Choi Soobin, some may already know me from the camp trip and if you don’t I hope we can get along. I’m looking forward to this year, let’s all do our best” Yeonjun said and slightly bowed at the rest of the class. His other classmates applauded at his introduction as if he won a Nobel Prize. He felt inspired because of Yeonjun’s talent of speaking to crowds, he could never do that well.

“Thank you for introducing yourself Soobin you can go ahead and sit”

Yeonjun then walked to the seat beside him. They got in the classroom early so they could sit at the back of the class and not bring too much attention to themselves. Though according to Yeonjun this was something he did every day in school.

The first classes were the same. They just did a brief explanation of the topics they would study in each class, the evaluation, exams, projects, and everything that consisted of what they would do throughout year. They had approximately five minutes between classes to walk to the next classroom and more depending on how far the next class was. But everything went right since he remained beside Yeonjun the whole day.

By lunch, they walked to the cafeteria where they would eat. It was huge and minimalistic, as if it was from a really expensive hotel or something like that. To be honest the whole school didn’t look like a school.

“Come with me” Yeonjun said to him as he grabbed his arm forcefully

“What are you doing? There is a line!” Soobin argued since Yeonjun planned to skip to the front “Yeonjun!”

“Stop calling me that! I am Soobin remember?” Yeonjun hissed at his since he was protesting

“Then stop skipping the line!” Even though Soobin fought back, Yeonjun kept on going

“Hi Seojun, do you mind? We are starving” Yeonjun said out of nowhere

“Hey Soobin! How are you? I’ve been messaging you but you didn’t answer” Seojun said as he hugged Yeonjun which made Soobin laugh since the later hasn’t grown fond of spontaneous hugs and it shows

“Yeah I saw them that’s why we are here” Yeonjun said awkwardly

“Don’t worry let’s all eat together then” Seojun said back with a smile

The line kept moving and after a couple of minutes, they were next. As Yeonjun was served his lunch, he made sure to pinch him or hit him so he said thank you to the cooking staff. He still got glares from him but he needed to maintain his image as well.

“Also I see that you got advice from Yeonjun, you styled your uniform too, I like it” Seojun said as he glanced over Yeonjun’s appearance. Soobin now notices that Yeonjun styled his uniform just as he did. While he made sure to maintain Yeonjun’s style, Yeonjun simply did his thing and brought out this image of him. Yeonjun looked at him apologetically but he reassured him that it was ok. He also likes how he looks like this.

“Yeonjun!” Someone screamed at the distance but he didn’t think of it much until Yeonjun pinched him. He looked to where the voice was coming and there were Tina and Hyewon waving at him

“I think they are calling you … they must want to have lunch with you” Seojun pointed out

“I don’t think so” He said back as a sweat went down the side of his forehead. If he left, he and Yeonjun would be eating with different people and Yeonjun barely knows his friends.

“I … think they do … it’s ok we can eat together any other day. Go, don’t worry”

“Hehe … ok” Soobin said as he walked to the table with the girls and left Yeonjun behind. He saw his own face in agony before he left

“Hi! How are you? Are you feeling ok? Does your head hurt?” They both asked him preoccupied

“I’m fine really … don’t worry”

“Is he ok?” Hyewon asked him

“Who?”

“The love of my life of course, Soobin!” Hyewon said with full confidence. This made him choke on his drink

“Love of your life?”

“Well yeah of course” Tina said sarcastically “Look at him, he is such a bad boy with that look it makes me want to-“ She got interrupted as once again he chocked

“What is wrong with you?” Hyewon asked him mockingly

“Nothing” He finally said as he composed himself but right after his phone rang. It was Yeonjun texting him

“Stop choking! I am dying over here also!”

Soobin looked at the table Yeonjun was at and received a death glare from his part. He had forgotten they shared heartbeats and who knows what more so he must have choked as well when he did. He mumbled a ’sorry’ in his direction and continued eating lunch separately.

* * *

He is trying his best he really is but Soobin and his mark are getting the best of him. Ever since lunch ended, Soobin has wanted to talk to him about something but he doesn’t want to because he knows what he wants to talk about. His mark explained it to him at lunch since there were two parrots with heart eyes in his wrist looking in his direction. Soobin must have found out about the parrots not so secret crush for him. But also, he wants to ignore him since his friends couldn’t shut up about Misoo this, Misoo that, which made him irritated for some reason. He is sure that if he starts rambling he will focus his anger on Soobin and mess up their relationship.

But right now Soobin is testing him. He keeps waving at him, throwing papers, and making sounds to catch his attention. When will he realize that he is ignoring him? Also his mark is making it worse since there is an elephant throwing its trunk from side to side to catch his attention. So he decided to try something out in hopes that the marks could communicate with each other without the need of them touching.

“Into a spider” he whispered to his elephant

Seconds later he heard a screech coming from Soobin, apparently it worked since his mark was still an elephant and Soobin’s had turned into a spider. For the rest of the class Soobin remained with his eyes closed and didn’t disturb him. That’s why you don’t mess with Yeonjun.

* * *

“How was school?” Beomgyu texted him. He doesn’t know how Yeonjun talks to him so he quickly looked through past messages without reading the context too much. Just as he thought, Yeonjun responded with little words and sometimes joked about the person. This may be easy to replicate

“You would know if you went” Soobin texted back. School has ended and he was on his way to Yeonjun’s home with his driver. He almost took the bus before remembering he was rich, well not him but Yeonjun

“I know haha, maybe tomorrow”

“Sure”

“Are you feeling ok? I think we haven’t talked much since the accident”

“I’m fine really”

“That’s good, if I go to school tomorrow hang out with me after at my house”

“I’ll think about it”

“We both know that’s a yes :P”

“Whatever … see you tomorrow maybe”

“Bye!”

It wasn’t that hard apparently, he was a good Yeonjun after all. Soobin pats himself in the back because of his acting skills, always on point.

“Also before I forget don’t you ever transform into a spider, ok!? I couldn’t open my eyes for almost an hour because of it. Don’t follow Yeonjun’s orders you hear me!” Soobin nagged at the little bear that was in his forearm. The bear became a little sad because of the scold so Soobin quickly apologized which made the bear once again “But please, please, don’t ever do that” He begged and the bear nodded back cutely

* * *

“How was school kid?” Soobin’s grandparent said as he entered the little home

“Great grandpa … I met very nice people today” Yeonjun said back. It wasn’t a lie after all; Soobin’s friends are good people.

“I am glad, I’m so thankful” The old man said as he hugged his grandson, which surprised the later because of how affectionate the man was. After debating with himself, Yeonjun allowed himself to be hugged but most importantly to hug back “Hungry?”

“Very”

“Sit at the table, dinner will be ready any second now”

“I bet it will be delicious, right father?” Soobin’s dad said joyfully, this made the old person laugh softly

“I am sure it will” Soobin’s mom enters the conversation as she kisses her husband as a greeting

“Let’s all eat together” Yeonjun said now that he feels confident enough to say it out loud

This may not be his family by blood, and it hurts to remind himself that it isn’t since he has grown attached to them but he can’t lose moments like these since he doesn’t know when everything will turn back to normal and if this is the last time it will happen. He doesn’t want to lose it but even though he will, he will make the most of it while he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here I am with a new chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading it. Sorry if the updates are coming a little less often, I am very busy recently but I’ll try to be consistent with this fic since I enjoy writing it. Thank you so much for reading and for the support! See you! <3
> 
> ///SPOILER///  
> Don’t you think Soobin and Yeonjun are exposing their marks way too much at school? We know normal people can’t see their marks but what if someone could …


	31. Adjustments

Living the life of Soobin was difficult to get used to, and that was saying too little. Probably Soobin hasn’t had to struggle as much as he is since he is a spoiled kid that did nothing at all in his free time. The most exhausting thing he had to do was walk up the stairs to get to his room and hear Beomgyu vent, which was nothing, compared to his current situation. The first night after school was very chill, much like his life back at his real house. After dinner, he just took the plates to the sink and his grandfather offered to wash them for him, he was an angel in Yeonjun’s eyes, he really hated washing dishes. After that he just had to go to bed and sleep until the next morning … little did he know that his dreamland was temporary, he should have appreciated it more when he had the chance.

He woke up with a megaphone to his ear, which made him jump out of bed in an instant. He coiled at the impact but after receiving more military screams from Soobin’s mom, he shook it off and started to follow orders from her. The sun had barely risen, it was still dark outside. The first thing he had to do was to prepare the ingredients for breakfast, he had to chop vegetables, crack up eggs, set the tables and many more things. He can’t say he did his best job since the cuts of the vegetables were irregular and in the bowl of eggs, there were residues of shell. He was just thankful he didn’t cut a finger off, but he can’t deny that after receiving yet another death glare from Soobin’s mom he had wished he had done a better job.

He explored the rest of Soobin’s house since he had to wake up the rest of the family. There was nothing much to see, the place was tiny and there weren’t many rooms. However, Yeonjun forgot of how small it really is after staying here for the past couple of days, it was cozy, it gave the family everything they needed and it gave a sense of warmth since you could see everyone in the house at one room at times. Back at his home it was only him so having people around him was a nice feeling. One of the things he loves from this house is that Soobin’s room is apart from the rest of the house because it was the only one on the second floor. Even after being surrounded by people, he needed his own space so he deeply appreciated the privacy he got there. The nights are little by little less painful now that his back has become used to the mattress and to the noises from the main road; now he can tell why Soobin likes hearing cars at night, it was calming in some way.

The meals were amazing, Soobin’s grandfather really knew how to cook, the man was incredibly talented at it. The food he ate wasn’t the typical high standard globally known dishes but something more local, more Korean-like. He was getting used to the new spices the old man added to the food but nonetheless, it was delicious. It made Yeonjun wonder why their family business wasn’t as successful, he would pay huge amount of money to eat this type of food every day. He isn’t saying this just because it’s related to Soobin, he really means it.

After every meal, he was the one that washed the dishes if nobody else offered to do so. This was the worst part of the day but he sees it as payment for the great food he just ate, he just hoped he wouldn’t throw it up as he washed the plates. From then on, his days went as planned. He still had to take lightning showers but he was getting better at them, but he still exceeded the time limit by a minute or two, still, he had to master them before Soobin’s mom came for his head. Soobin’s body was still something he tried to ignore as much as he could since it was still awkward even after all that has happened. He can’t deny that sometimes he stares at himself in the mirror and if he was brave enough, he would take a quick glance to his upper body just because … he was looking for scars, yes, that’s why. But if there was something he always did when he looked it the mirror was look at Soobin’s dimples. He couldn’t understand why the parrots made such a big deal of Soobin’s dimples but now that he sees them every time he smiled, he could understand the cute aspect of them.

The rides to school were entertaining; both of Soobin’s parents dropped him off and made him laugh at times. More specifically, when Soobin’s father tried to sing but completely failed at it, though he had to give props to Soobin’s mom, she really knew how to sing. He knew that she also danced because Soobin mentioned it once so his admiration for her grew even more. That day he complimented her by saying ’Mom, why do you admire Miss Lee Eun-kyung so much? You are as talented as her’. Of course, the woman giggled and turned into a tomato in the moment. It made him happy to see that he was getting good at complimenting people. Even though it wasn’t something he would do before this whole thing happened, he looked forward to do it even in his own body.

School was difficult but worth it. He still got some stares and looks when he got off the car but he ignored them. He felt completely proud of getting of that car, as if he had won a golden medal at the Olympics or something, it was a weird feeling to describe. Once he reunited with Soobin at the same bench from the first day, they made their way to their classes and barely separated from each other. At first he would have said that they did so because of convenience since Soobin didn’t know the place but now he could say that he enjoyed being around Soobin. Now that he thinks of it, it would be strange to not have him by his side one day. He couldn’t remember his life the past year since Soobin wasn’t with him at class. What did he do all that time?

He was still having struggles adapting to Soobin’s group of friends since they were all extroverted and a mess to say the least. That’s why lunch was one of the hardest parts of the day, but he has to admit that Kai, Taehyun and Seojun were easy to talk to since they reminded him of Beomgyu. Talking of Beomgyu, he came the second day of school. From what he could see, Soobin acted just as he would and caused no suspicion. They both were doing a decent job at faking it for the other, he was thankful to Soobin for that so he also tried his best to avoid being caught. Nevertheless, he knows that lunch is also Soobin’s hardest part of the day since he could see his mark awaken and flush every time without exception. This encouraged Yeonjun to mess with his outfit and act like a total hot stuff just so he could embarrass Soobin more. He at times took off his blazer, wet his hair with a bottle of water and even unbuttoned one or two buttons of the top of his shirt. His mark went crazy that day but he may have gone a bit too far since he caught the attention of literally everyone in the cafeteria. He didn’t have to look at Soobin to know the type of expression he was doing, instead of feeling victorious he felt sorry for Soobin. He apologized to him and bought him snacks and many beverages. Well … he gave the permission to Soobin to do so since he didn’t have his wallet but Soobin’s, this body swap thing still tricked him mentally at times.

Class was a pain in the ass since he had to pay attention from now on. This wasn’t a conversation he has had with Soobin but if there is something he doesn’t want to fail at, it is at having great scores. Not for him of course since he doesn’t need them but for Soobin. Who knows if there will be times when he will have to do an exam in Soobin’s body and in case he didn’t study he would wreck with Soobin’s record. They still don’t know what is happening to them and even less know when they will swap bodies. It could happen in a couple of minutes or maybe in a month, or even never again! Whatever the case is, he doesn’t want to ruin Soobin’s scores so he promised himself that he will try to be more responsible for his friend’s sake. 

In his defense, he hasn’t been as successful with this since Soobin himself is the main reason he gets distracted. He can’t stop talking to him, throwing papers, whispering, and any other thing that could help him concentrate in class. Soobin also got a hold of Yeonjun’s technique of changing his marks so at times he would casually see a clown making tricks by his arm. He wasn’t fond of clowns and to be honest in made him uncomfortable to see one in his own arm smirking at him so he tried his best to ignore it. Though Soobin was having a blast playing with his and his own mark in the middle of class, he wouldn’t have thought that Soobin would be as crazy in the middle of a lesson. It reminded him of Beomgyu since his friend really didn’t put any attention. Maybe Soobin was a prodigy and didn’t need to pay attention in class. It wouldn’t surprise him since Soobin for all he knows is good at everything. But still it made him feel that something was not right, maybe he will talk to him about it one day.

At the end of the day, he would come with Soobin to his own house. They did so because this way they could catch up with what happened when they were not together. The second day was the only day they couldn’t do it since Beomgyu invited Soobin to a slumber party at his house. According to Soobin nothing much happened, the night consisted of Beomgyu talking nonstop of Italy and of how much he missed Mr.Puffles. Soobin told him that the dog was fond of him, it made his stomach turn just thinking about his body touching that beast, he asked Soobin to never touch that dog again ever when he was in his body. The later agreed after looking at his disgusted expression.

However, there was something neither Soobin nor he could ignore and it was the fact that Soobin didn’t know how to swim. They had swimming class by Friday and today was Thursday night. After chatting of what had happened by lunch, they got ready and began swimming lessons in his indoor pool. Yeonjun always wore Soobin’s bunny swimming trunks, which made him blush every time he looked down at them. Soobin always made fun of him and told him how cute he looked even if he was talking about himself. They haven’t made much progress in just two days so he asked his private doctor to fake a medical note in case everything went south so that Soobin’s secret wouldn’t be known. If it took him a month to learn how to swim, it doesn’t matter, he will fake as many notes as he needed to help Soobin out. But he had to be truthful with himself; it always made him laugh seeing his own body sink like a bag of potatoes.

“Don’t worry; you will get a hold of it. I am sure” Yeonjun said with a big smile since he was trying not to laugh at the clearly distraught Soobin

“I am almost 18 years old and I don’t know how to swim … how embarrassing” Soobin said holding his head down

“Hey don’t worry, there is no rush” He tried to calm him down but it made him more anxious in a way

“Yeonjun, there is a rush. I can’t simply skip all classes just because of this”

“Yes you can!” Yeonjun once again comforted him “Do you know the amount of people that have never been in that pool because of ’health reasons’?”

“I don’t know that much, but I can’t keep living like this … I can’t bring you down with me too”

“You are not bringing me down I swear”

“Yes I am!” Soobin lifted his head up to him. He had a troubled expression; he could sense anger, anxiety and a bit of remorse in it. He has never seen Soobin like this “I promise you, this is the last note you will do for me”

“Ok … I believe in you” He finally said, he would keep saying that Soobin wasn’t really bringing him down but he knows that if he keeps saying it, it will just add more fuel to the situation. What Soobin needed was acceptance and he will give it to him “You better fulfill your promise you hear me? It’s so embarrassing to be part of those people” Yeonjun kept bluffing to encourage Soobin, even though he really didn’t mind losing classes because of Soobin

“Consider it done” Soobin said with full confidence. This is the Soobin he knows.

After having diner in his own house, he returned to Soobin’s house. He still didn’t know how to use the bus so Soobin arranged his driver to drop him off. Now that he thinks of it, he understands completely was Soobin was feeling earlier by the pool. Each one of them was going out of their comfort zone to not let the other one down. In a way seeing Soobin so focused with his goals, it inspired him to do better, even if it meant to study more or even ride a bus.

At Soobin’s house, everyone was getting ready for bed since there weren’t chores to do late at night. If he hadn’t missed dinner today, he would for sure still be washing dishes and maybe cleaning the floor of the kitchen. It was a great strategy to avoid doing those things but it meant losing Soobin’s grandfather’s cooking and it pained him very much. He made himself announced and went to his bed after saying ’good night’ to everyone in the house.

He changed his clothes and quickly went under the covers of the uncomfortable bed. So much has happened in just a couple of days that his brain can’t help but feel tired every time he got home. Tomorrow will be as exhausting as today and the next day will be the same but it didn’t matter; he was getting used to it, maybe even starting to like it.

Something in his head prevented him of falling asleep and he knew why. It felt like someone was talking to him but not really, since he couldn’t hear nobody, but still he felt as if someone called him. He didn’t want to open his eyes since he knew that the answers he seeks are in his wrist and last time he was curious about it, the conversation he wasn’t supposed to witness pained him for the next days, it was a miracle that today he didn’t feel down at all because of it. He didn’t want to go through feeling so down once again so he fought against the urge of looking but the calls didn’t stop so he finally gave in. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a wolf in his wrist, the same wolf he has seen in his dreams along with Soobin.

“What are you doing here?” He calmly asked. The wolf dissolved into ink and from it, swift strokes of ink formed letters

_“Don’t make me wait next time” A text appeared with the same calligraphy from the ’original’ mark “I have a message … we don’t have much time”_

“What is it?” Yeonjun said, now careful with his words since he started his relationship with the wolf with the wrong foot. He would try to amend his mistakes since it was clear the wolf disliked him because of his attitude

_“Hide the mark” A new text appeared but quickly went away “They can see it, don’t let them”_

“Who can? Can you explain it to me?”

_“Our kind can see markings, even those which they didn’t create”_

“Your kind?”

_“Yes, you may know them as ’witches’ or ’warlocks’”_

“W- What?” Yeonjun asked astounded “Then … does that mean that a witch or a warlock cursed us?”

_“Yes”_

“So … any sorcerer can see our markings and know our secret? Even if they didn’t cursed us personally” Yeonjun asked to confirm his theory

_“Indeed, don’t let them see it”_

“Then does that mean that … you are a warlock? Are you the one that cursed us?”

Yeonjun waited for an answer but the ink returned to form his name in his wrist leaving no traces behind of the wolf or the conversation they had. The wolf said that he meant no harm and that he wouldn’t kill them, at least right now so he decided to believe in the wolf even if he didn’t trust him fully. The wolf knew more than them for sure and he wouldn’t have talked to him if it wasn’t necessary. Up until this moment no one seemed to notice the markings in his and Soobin’s wrists, he just hoped it wasn’t too late to act now.

* * *

He woke up to the sound of bird chirping right outside his window. He missed waking up to such calming sounds, and by looking at the sky, he can tell he is right on time for his usual routine. A he looks around the room that he is in, he sighs content of where he is in. He is finally back in his house; he really thought this day wouldn’t come at all. He heard the rusty planks of wood of the stairs creak announcing that someone was getting close to his room. As the door slammed wide open, he could only do one thing.

“Choi Soob-!” His mom tried to say loudly but quickly got interrupted as he hugged her tightly. He really missed hugging his own mom. It has been three days since he had last done it; he hasn’t even had the chance to look at her in those days. He almost teared up because of the feeling.

“Good morning mom, I missed you” He said lowly meaning each and every word

“Missed me? Of course, how could you not?” His mom bluntly said as if she was the queen of the world, in his eyes she was. He also missed that narcissistic attitude his mom has, he knows it’s just for the jokes since she is one of the most caring and loving people there are

“What can I help you with?” He said excited. Back at Yeonjun’s house he did nothing and died out of boredom since he woke up so early

“I see that you are returning to you old ways, you almost worry me kid” She said as she smirked at him “Want to help me with breakfast?”

“Sure, anything really”

His morning was great; he enjoyed doing tasks around the house and keeping himself busy. Before he left for the camp trip, he may have felt bumped out by them but now that he misses doing them, he sees them in a different light. Soobin also missed his grandpa’s cooking, it was just so homey and warm, it reminded him of his family and simpler times. He greeted each and one of the members of the house with extreme love and full hugs. He could see that Yeonjun did a great job at keeping his family in check since it doesn’t look like they are suspicious or anything at all. The only thing was that his mom checked and constantly spied him while he cooked, apparently, he had made a mess the days before and he laughed at the revelation. Next time he is with Yeonjun near a kitchen, he will teach him the basics and maybe simple dishes his family constantly did. It surprised him that Yeonjun didn’t ask for his help, maybe he just wants to figure it out by himself. Whatever the reason behind it, he will offer his help just as Yeonjun has offered his to him.

On his way to school, he decide to take some time for himself since they were stuck in traffic because of an accident that happened a couple of blocks in front of where they were. As he looked through the window, he finally gave in to his thoughts and started remembering the past few days. If there was a word that could describe how it felt it would be … cold. Staying and Yeonjun’s house for that long really felt cold and lonely. He doesn’t want to think this way since it disrespects Yeonjun in every aspect but he can’t help but feel this way. Yeonjun’s mom was a ray of sunlight in the house, there is no denying that but those days she was out of the house and he barely got to talk to her. At Beomgyu’s he really had a good time, Beomgyu’s energy was really similar to his friend’s so he was able to go along with him even when he tried to not be himself.

The rest of the nights right after Yeonjun left the house after the swimming lessons he suddenly lost the warmth of being with someone. He wasn’t alone at all since there were maids and many other personal at the house even at night but they weren’t the same as being with family or friends. There was Miss Yunseo who wasn’t as conservative and enclosed as the other maids with him, she really felt as someone he could trust and talk to but she had a schedule to follow in the house. He wandered through the halls and opened every room he encountered but only to find it empty. He felt like Belle from ’Beauty and the Beast’ as if he was an intruder to the mansion and was looking for the secrets it held but to his surprise there were none. The most secret-like thing he found was the top cabinet in Yeonjun’s closet, which contained stuff from his childhood. He promised himself to not look through it since the moment he encountered it so he kept his promise and never even glanced at it again.

All breakfasts he had to eat by himself, Yeonjun’s mother had already left when he woke up so it left him all alone since the morning. He really tried to look at it from a positive point of view at times. He said to himself that privacy is good, that he needed some time to himself anyways or that he had more time to study since he didn’t have to do chores but after lying to himself repeatedly, he couldn’t do it anymore. In these couple of days, he has felt so lonely and cold like ever before. He even messed up his swimming at times just so Yeonjun could stay a couple of minutes more. He feels so embarrassed by that, it went against his promise of doing his best to Yeonjun but being alone really drained him emotionally. He just hoped he could hide his feelings to Yeonjun as good as he is doing it with everyone else.

He can’t get in his mind how Yeonjun could handle this all of his life. For him it was just three days but for Yeonjun it has been almost eighteen years. He really didn’t want to feel pity for him since he knows that feeling very well and he doesn’t like it when people do it to him so he just keeps going forward and does his best every time he can. He is trying to get closer to Yeonjun every time he is with him. They are very close by now but he will do anything to keep him company now that he knows how lonely he must have felt all of this years. He is even sacrificing his own studies to be with him, he has no idea of the topics they have been studying in class because he is busy keeping company to Yeonjun. He really doesn’t want his friend to go through so much and if he can do something about it, he will, without a doubt.

“Here we are Soobin! Have fun!” His dad said snapping him from his thoughts. They have arrived at the school

“Oh, thank you for bringing me. Love you! See you back at home! Drive safely!” Soobin said as he stepped out of the car

“Bye Soobin!” His mom waved at him as the car turned to where the exit was

He wasn’t afraid of swimming class at all, he just had to present the medical note Yeonjun will give him later today. He cared about being with Yeonjun most of all so he tighten up the strings in his backpack and moved forward. He was about to enter the main entrance to the building with the rest of the students but someone called for him.

“Soobin! Hi!” He heard someone say

So he turned around to see who it was. At the distance, a girl was standing in the middle of the path waving at him. She jogged in his direction and time seemed to go slowly as she dodged and went through the students to where he was. He can’t believe he had forgotten about her in this couple of days.

He had forgotten about Misoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I really enjoyed writing this chapter I hope you liked it as well! We are slowly getting to know more about the wolf and about the witches/warlocks! I hope that you are looking forward to what is next because I like the couple of ideas for future chapters I have come up to. I am sorry to say that there will be brief time skips in the next chapters but nothing too significant. I am that type of person that prefers to stay away from time skips but it will be necessary since I can’t explain in detail every day that passes. Also sorry if you don't like narrated chapters, I got carried away this time hehe. Thank you so much for reading and for your support! See you! <3
> 
> ///SPOILER///  
> If … let me make it clear … IF the wolf is a warlock, what type of curse do you think he did to Soobin and Yeonjun? 
> 
> ///SPOILER OF THE SPOILER///  
> Remember the legends Misoo told Soobin?  
> (Chapter 23: Down the River)


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